The Committee of the Regions is drafting an opinion on "Towards the 7th EAP: Better implementation of EU environmental law". The Opinion is based on the communication from the European Commission on "Improving the delivery of benefits from EU environment measures: building confidence through better knowledge and responsiveness" COM (2012) 95 final, and with the aim to already feed into the preparations of the European Commission of its 7th Environment Action Programme (EAP), due end of 2012. The Opinion will develop first proposals on how to articulate a possible EAP priority on implementation and governance.
Delayed or inadequate legislation implementation can have many negative consequences ranging from extra cost to uncertainty for local and regional authorities and industry and, at the end,environmental and health nuisances. To avoid these problems and propose concrete solutions, the European Commission wants to encourage more responsiveness from the Member States on environmental issues based on more effective and efficient information collection and exchange.
It is clear that the member states have to rely on regional and local authorities to cooperate with the national and European level in order to develop a fully systematic approach in knowledge collection and dissemination but also in inspection and surveillance when they implement EU environmental legislation. Thus good implementation involves responding effectively to actual or potential environmental problems.
The Rapporteur on the Opinion, Ms Nilgun CANVER (UK/PES), Member of the ENVE Commission of the CoR and Member of London Borough of Haringey in the United Kingdom, would be happy to meet with representatives of local and regional associations, NGOs and other stakeholders for a consultation and an exchange of views on this opinion.
The consultation will take place on:
Wednesday 27 June, 11.00 – 13.00
At the premises of the Committee of the Regions
(Rue Belliard 99-101, B-1040 Brussels)
Room JDE 70
The Rapporteur would be very keen to hear your views during the meeting. After a short introduction by the rapporteur stakeholders will be invited to react to the questions raised by the rapporteur.
In addition, if you have any position papers relevant to the subject, you are welcome to send them to us by email to the addresses below.
The meeting will be held in English and no interpretation will be provided.
For more information, please contact our team:
Please note that the CoR will not provide paper copies of the documents for the meeting, in an effort to reduce paper waste.