§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the EEC original programme envisaging a three-stage approach to the abatement of pollution was abandoned in preference to the adoption of uniform emission standards.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe original EEC Environment Programme agreed by member States in 1973 provided for three main stages in action to reduce pollution, beginning with the determination of scientifically-based criteria for the dangers of pollutants, through standards for exposure to these pollutants, to their control by establishing quality objectives for different parts of the environment and by a range of other action.
The EEC Commission has proposed a number of measures under this programme, including some establishing criteria and quality objectives. The Commission has, however, also proposed three directives that adopt the entirely different approach of control by uniform emission standards. These concern the discharge of dangerous substances in inland and tidal waters, and the wastes of the titanium dioxide and paper pulp industries.
In the Government's view the environment programme provides no warrant for the establishment of uniform emission standards at community level. In any case, such standards are not an effective means of reducing water pollution, as I explained in my answer to the hon. Member for Moray and Nairn (Mrs. Ewing) on 29th October 1975—[Vol. 898, c. 181–2].
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether any other member countries of the EEC adopt the present United Kingdom approach to emission standards;
(2) what information he has concerning EEC States which have legislation comparable with that in the United Kingdom for dealing with emission standards.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI understand that among EEC States, Ireland and Denmark approach pollution control in a way 689W which allows them, like the United Kingdom, to take account of local circumstances when setting emission limits and other controls on pollution. It is, however, the case that all EEC States except the United Kingdom support the use of uniform emission standards to control a limited range of substances, as proposed in the EEC Commission's draft directive on dangerous substances in the aquatic environment.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will propose that fair competition rules made under the Treaty of Rome relating to emission standards for pollution control should take into account such variables as differing wage and salary rates in EEC countries.
§ Mr. Denis HowellI agree with the hon. Gentleman to the extent that if the elimination of barriers to trade is to be used as an argument for uniform emission standards, it is equally an argument applicable to differences in other costs of production, for example, transport, or the effects of climate. I believe the argument to be fallacious in either case, and not supported by the Treaty of Rome.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the annual cost to the United Kingdom of monitoring the EEC proposals for uniform emission standards.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe EEC draft directives, which include proposals for uniform emission standards, do not involve large-scale monitoring requirements. Such monitoring as they would require would fall within the United Kingdom's normal monitoring arrangements and is not expected to add to the cost of those arrangements.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what will be the annual cost to United Kingdom industry of complying with the EEC draft directive for uniform emission standards assuming a 10-year terminal date for implementation is maintained.
§ Mr. Denis HowellThe EEC proposals for pollution controls which involve the use of uniform emission standards do not permit their impact on industry in the United Kingdom yet to be gauged in690W detail. It is clear however that the costs would be likely to be significant.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether there are now available appropriate commercial processes to permit EEC States to comply with the EEC draft directive on emission standards.
§ Mr. Denis HowellIt has yet to be settled how many substances would be covered by the three EEC draft directives that proposed uniform standards. It is, however, already clear that while they would affect some substances for which commercially proven control processes exist, they would also cover areas in which processes have not yet been tested on a commercial scale.