believes that local and regional authorities should play a greater role in formulating EU environmental policy as this guarantees better implementation and ownership. Innovative methods of multilevel governance, including harnessing existing networks and platforms, will promote pro-active commitment of local and regional authorities. The Covenant of Mayors could be regarded as a reference in this regard and its concept could be extended to other key EU environmental policy areas;
invites the European Commission to explore co-organising an annual forum to address regional and local problems and solutions in the application of EU environmental law and calls upon the European Parliament to associate the CoR to its debates with the European Commission on implementation of European environmental law;
invites Member States to ensure that the internal distribution of competences is respected and proper procedures are put in place for consultation, including the setting up of "dossier/transposition teams" consisting of experts from the national administration, regions and associations of local authorities to work together throughout the whole policy cycle;
supports a general and binding framework on environmental inspections. The details of the form and content of inspections should be regulated nationally and developed at local and regional level, on the basis of general principles set by the EU and at lower levels of government;
stresses that a 7th Environment Action Programme would be a key pillar of the EU2020 Strategy and is needed to articulate its implications for environmental policy. It should set clear targets and timetables, as well as maintain a common thematic strategy on soil protection including the aim to adopt a Soil Framework Directive.
• The opinion's proposal to co-organise a regular forum to address regional and local problems and solutions in the application of EU environmental law was taken up by European Commission in its Communication adopted in March 2012 on improving the delivery of benefits from EU environment measures: building confidence through better knowledge and responsiveness .
• In line with the call of the opinion for a 7th Environment Action Programme, the European Commission Proposal for a 7th EAP reflects some key recommendations of the opinion, namely a separate priority objective on better implementation of EU environment law, as well as a separate priority objective on Sustainable Cities, the plan for a general EU binding framework on environmental inspections and surveillance.
• On 5 December 2012, during the conference "Driving better implementation in our cities & regions – a key element of the 7th Environment Action Programme" co-organised by the CoR and European Commission, and opened by the rapporteur, the Environment Commissioner Potočnik and the CoR Vice President Bresso launched the "CoR/EC Technical Platform for Cooperation on the Environment". This initiative was suggested in the opinion.
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- believes that local and regional authorities should play a greater role in formulating EU environmental policy as this guarantees better implementation and ownership. Innovative methods of multilevel governance, including harnessing existing networks and platforms, will promote pro-active commitment of local and regional authorities. The Covenant of Mayors could be regarded as a reference in this regard and its concept could be extended to other key EU environmental policy areas;
- invites the European Commission to explore co-organising an annual forum to address regional and local problems and solutions in the application of EU environmental law and calls upon the European Parliament to associate the CoR to its debates with the European Commission on implementation of European environmental law;
- invites Member States to ensure that the internal distribution of competences is respected and proper procedures are put in place for consultation, including the setting up of "dossier/transposition teams" consisting of experts from the national administration, regions and associations of local authorities to work together throughout the whole policy cycle;
- supports a general and binding framework on environmental inspections. The details of the form and content of inspections should be regulated nationally and developed at local and regional level, on the basis of general principles set by the EU and at lower levels of government;
- stresses that a 7th Environment Action Programme would be a key pillar of the EU2020 Strategy and is needed to articulate its implications for environmental policy. It should set clear targets and timetables, as well as maintain a common thematic strategy on soil protection including the aim to adopt a Soil Framework Directive.