Resources, environmental technology and common rules in focus in the future EU environmental policy
The future EU environmental policy should pursue the aim of facilitating and exploiting the relationship between sustainability and competitiveness – with focus on efficient use of resources.
The global challenge facing agriculture is to produce more food for more people while at the same time ensuring sustainable utilisation of increasingly limited resources. The future EU environmental policy should therefore pursue the aim of facilitating and exploiting the relationship between sustainability and competitiveness – with focus on efficient use of resources. This will contribute to enhanced resource efficiency and pave the way for more targeted initiatives to ensure scarce resources. It is also paramount that the environmental rules applicable in the EU are harmonised to prevent low environmental standards from becoming a competitive parameter. Common standards are also a critical condition for establishing sufficiently large markets for developing and exporting green environmental technologies.
- A 7th environmental action programme is called for. The programme must give priority to enhanced resource efficiency and development of technologies to limit emissions, including increased recirculation and less waste.
- The framework for resource recirculation, especially phosphorus and water, must be improved.
- Focus must be on uniform implementation of environmental requirements in all member states – both existing and future implementation – so everyone enjoys a level playing field.
- In the context of biodiversity, it is essential to ensure the funding of initiatives and implement current policies before new objectives are set.