European Union and Environment Essay ⋆ Environment Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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The European Union (EU) is a union of 25 independent states joined to increase economic integration and cooperation. The EU was established by the Treaty on European Union, agreed between 12 member states on November 1, 1993. The Treaty on European Union, or Treaty of Maastricht, was ratified by Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK). In 1995 Austria, Finland, and Sweden joined the EU, and in May 2004, a further 10 countries became members: Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The member states have set up common institutions to which they delegate some of their sovereignty so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically at the European level.

The EU is commonly understood as an economic and political bloc, synonymous with the project of European integration, and Europe itself, when the question of European identity is raised. The Treaty on European Union grants European citizenship to citizens of each member state. Customs and immigration agreements allow European citizens freedom to live, work, or study in any of the member states. A single European currency was introduced in 2002 when the euro replaced the national currencies of 12 EU nations. Denmark, Sweden, and the UK have not joined the single currency, and national currencies are still in use in the country members that took up membership in 2004.

The EU predecessor was the European Community (EC), an organization composed of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the European Economic Community (EEC, often referred to as the Common Market), and the European Atomic Energy Commission (Euratom). The three institutions merged and created European Community in 1965 (effective from 1967) and established headquarters in Brussels.

Institutions and Legal Framework

The institutions of EU are: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers, European Council and the Court of Justice.

The European Commission makes policy proposals and presents them to the Council of Ministers, represents the EU in economic relations with other countries or international organizations, and manages EC funds and programs. It works as the executive body of the EU.

The European Parliament is the only body of the EU whose members are directly elected by the citizens of its member states. It meets in Strasbourg, though most of its committee work is done in Brussels and the secretariat is based in Luxembourg.

The 732 seats are allotted based on the population of each member state. In 2004 Germany had the largest representation with 99 seats, the United Kingdom had 78, and Ireland had 13.

The Council of Ministers is the main legislative body of the EU. It is composed of Cabinet ministers from the member governments. Summit meetings among the top leaders of the member states are called at least once every six months by the country holding the presidency of the Council of Ministers. This meeting of heads of state and government is called the European Council. The Court of Justice is the final arbiter in legal matters or disputes among EU institutions or between EU institutions and member states.

The EU represents a desire for peace and cooperation among sovereign European states. It maintains close links with 71 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific region (the ACP countries), which are affiliated with the organization and receive preferential economic treatment through the Suva Convention (2000). In 2004, European leaders signed a new EU constitution in Rome. Its key points included the election of a permanent EU president to serve for a term of two-and-a-half years, replacing the current rotating presidency; the appointment of a foreign minister; a legally binding charter of rights; and the adoption of common defense policies (though each country will retain a veto). The constitution was designed to take effect by October 2006 after ratification by each member country. It had been approved by Austria, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Luxembourg; however, in national referendums held in France and the Netherlands, voters decisively rejected the constitution, casting considerable doubt on its future implementation. Despite this setback, referendums continued and ratified the treaty in July.

Environmental Policy

The EU integrates environmental policy into all policies. The main policy body is the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee. The European Parliament decided to set up an environment committee in 1973. It was the 12th specialist committee, added to those set up since the European Parliament first met in 1952. The demand to deal with the consumer concerns at a European level dates back to 1967, when the first member’s written question pressed the European Commission to address the issue. The committee’s first directive on motor vehicle emissions was issued in 1970, and the European environmental protection law was agreed to at a conference of heads of state or government in October 1972. The environment committee took on responsibility under cooperation procedure for a series of legislative proposals on consumer protection and food safety. The responsibility includes most areas of environmental, food safety, and public health under the 1999 Amsterdam Treaty. The Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee has oversight and political responsibility for the activities of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO), and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). It has established a multilayered network of political links with other European institutions and international organizations in the areas of environment, public health and consumer protection.

Environment 2010 Plan

The basis of EU environmental action is “Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice,” an action program that emphasizes confronting climate change and global warming; protecting the natural habitat and wildlife; addressing environment and health issues; and preserving natural resources and managing waste. The document serves as a strategic direction to the European Commission’s environmental policy till 2010. It also acknowledge the importance of: enforcing existing environmental laws; taking the environmental impact into account in all relevant EU policies (e.g., agriculture, development, energy, fisheries, industry, the internal market, transport); closely involving business and consumers in identifying solutions to environmental problems; giving people the information they need to make environmentally friendly choices; and raising awareness of the importance of using land wisely in order to preserve natural habitats and landscapes and minimize urban pollution.

The EU rules, constantly updated, provide a framework for an equal level of protection throughout the union and policy that is able to take local circumstances into account. Recognizing the value of coordinated action to solve common problems, the EU has developed comprehensive policy measures across an extensive range of environmental issues.

The EU environmental policy is based on the “polluter pays” principle. The polluter may be required to pay through the investment needed to meet higher standards or by creating a system to take back, recycle, or dispose of products after use. The payment may also be a tax on business or consumers for using an environmentally unfriendly product, such as some types of packaging.

The document “Environment 2010: Our Future, Our Choice” clarifies EU strategy to combat climate change under the Kyoto Protocol. The EU has introduced the world’s first emissions trading system. EU governments issue allocations to industrial and energy businesses authorizing them to emit carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, up to a certain limit. Companies who do not use all their certificates can sell the surplus to firms that exceed their emissions ceiling. Firms that exceed their limits and do not have certificates to offset this face heavy fines. Obligations under the Kyoto Protocol run to 2012, but the commission has already launched consultation on post-2012 climate change policy.

When environmental threats are potential rather than proven, the commission applies the “precautionary principle:” it recommends protective measures if the risk seems real even if there is no absolute scientific certainty. “The European Environment-State and Outlook 2005” document, a five-year assessment across 31 countries, points to challenges, with climate change being just one of them. Other areas of concern include biodiversity, marine ecosystems, land and water resources, air pollution, and health. The report says Europe’s average temperature rose by 0.95 of a degree C during the 20th century. This is 35 percent higher than the global average increase of 0.7 of a degree C and temperatures will continue to rise. The EU has recognized this and set a target limiting the global temperature increase to 2 degrees C above preindustrial levels.

The European Commission provides funding for the several environmental institutions. Acknowledging that sustainable environment depends on individual citizens and public participation, it financially supports the European Environmental Communication Networks (EECN), where grassroots organizations get access to information. The eco-label scheme helps citizens make environmentally sound purchases of a score of goods and services and the companies and service organizations that want to demonstrate their high environmental standards participate in independently verified eco-management and audit registration scheme (EMAS). The European Environment Agency in Copenhagen monitors the state of the environment, provides early warning of coming problems, and supplies policymakers with information on which to base their decisions. It also promotes best practices in environmental protection and technologies and helps the European Commission to disseminate the results of environmental research. The aim of the European Environment Agency is to establish a seamless environmental information system and assist the EU in its efforts to integrate environmental aspects into economic policies.

Bibliography:

Tim Bale, European Politics (Palgrave, 2005);
Silvio Funtowicz, Martin O’Connor, Iain Shepherd, “Science, Governance, Complexity and Knowledge Assessment,” in Masashi Sekiguchi, , Government and Politics, Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS Publishers, 2004).
Jonathan Golub, Global Competition and U. Environmental Policy (Barnes and Noble: 1998);
Chris Rumford, The European Union: A Political Sociology (Blackwell, 2002).