AmbienDura » Policy

CALL FOR COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTION FORCE

nancy — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:49:09 +0000

By a motion for a resolution and a parliamentary question, a key member of the European Parlement urges the European Commission to take firm measures to ensure a good and even enforcement of environmental laws throughout the European Community.The European Commission has been reviewing the “Recommendations on minimum criteria for environmental inspections”. In its conclusions, the European Commissions identified that still large disparities exist in the way environmental inspections are carried out by the Member States, that the recommendations are inadequate and that they do not cover all pieces of environmental legislation.

As environmental policy aims can only be reached by a full implementation of the rules that are developed to protect the environment, the European Parliament asks for stronger and legally binding tools to ensure an effective enforcement of those rules.

One of the suggestions is the establishment of a Community Environmental Inspection Force and the strenghtening the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL).

Ambiendura attends Ninth Meeting of the Parties to the Basel Convention

nancy — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:15:32 +0000

From 23-27 June 2008, Nancy Isarin of Ambiendura attended the ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal (COP9) held in Bali. On behalf of the European IMPEL-TFS Network, Ambiendura provided a side-event about international enforcement collaboration of transboundary movements of waste.
During the week, key items as the strategic plan, financial, legal and technical matters were discussed by more than 500 participants from governments, NGO’s and private sector. Also during this COP it seemed impossible to reach consensus about the Ban Amendment, which deals with the export of hazardous waste from OECD countries to non-OECD countries. Informal meetings will be organised in order to solve the longstanding disagreements between parties with respect to this controversial amendment of the Basel Convention. The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking showed the impressive film “The Ironeaters” about shipbreaking on the beaches of Bangladesh.

On 26 June the “World Forum on Waste Management for Human Health and Livelihood,”the theme of COP9, attracted the highlevel segment of the involved governments.
A summary of the COP9 is available here.

Environmental enforcement not politically attractive

nancy — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 22:18:41 +0000

Policies, conventions, strategies, regulations and directives, all drafted to improve and protect the environment and human health. At least, when executed and enforced. Why would we otherwise produce all these papers?

It is all part of the regulatory chain. Simply said: a problem occurs, a policy is developed and legislation is drafted which is then implemented and monitored. The results of this monitoring are given back to the policymakers to evaluate if the correct strategy has been developed and the problems are tackled. Although nowadays everyone speaks about the importance of enforcement, it is still difficult to get sufficient attention. Attention which should lead to proper resources for effective implementation and enforcement.
Ambiendura recently attended an international environmental meeting where it was stated that enforcement is not ‘politically attractive’. It is difficult and doesn’t make you popular as a politician. The question is whether new and more rules do make you popular. Enforcement effects enterprises, but this does not have to be seen as something negative. As long as it is equal and coordinated. Preventing environmental disasters by inspections, does not seem to count as a (political) success; unfortunately, because that sounds very attractive.

Portuguese EU Presidency: informal meeting of Environment Ministers

nancy — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:02:39 +0000

From 31 August until 2 September, the Environment ministers join for an informal meeting in Lisbon. Main topic of this event will be ‘Water Scarcity and Drought. On the 18th of July 2007 the European Commission issued a Communication on this topic to the Council and European Parliament.