HC Deb 29 October 1992 vol 212 cc793-4W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if, during the United Kingdom's presidency of the European Community, he will seek to encourage the European Community to take environmental considerations into account in its structural funds monitoring procedure; and if he will introduce a new article into the structural fund regulations guaranteeing freedom of information;

(2) if he will make it his policy during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC to encourage the European investment bank to integrate environmental assessment into its decision-making process;

(3) if he will make it his policy to promote the amendment of structural fund regulations so that (a) any actions affecting land use and resource consumption must promote conservation and sustainable use of natural resources in order to receive funding and (b) payments under the fund are cancelled where there is clear evidence that EC laws have been breached;

(4) if he will make it his policy during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC to secure (a) the establishment of a European environmental agency (b) evaluation by environmental audit of each directorate general (c) environmental assessments of all new EC initiatives and regulations, with regulations to be accompanied by an environmental statement and (d) rapid progress with the proposed directive on environmental assessment for programmes and plans;

(5) if he will take steps to ensure that the European Community's fifth action programme on the environment addresses fishery issues;

(6) what efforts will be undertaken by his Department to ensure that the EC's fifth action programme on the environment (a) addresses trade issues and (b) contains clear targets and timetables, including targets for transports.

Mr. Maclean

In the EC, the fifth action programme itself, as well as the initiation and enforcement of measures such as the structural fund regulations are primarily a matter for the Commission. It has undertaken, in putting forward proposals, to assess their environmental impact and the Community as a whole will promote sustainable growth which respects the environment. As presidency, we are playing our part in giving effect to the treaty obligation that environmental protection shall be a component of the EC's other policies. We are doing this through, for example, a Council resolution on the fifth action programme which will highlight the importance of the integration of the environment into other policies and of the need for effective review; in our approach to the revision of the structural fund regulations; and through discussion of the environment in a number of other policy areas. We are also seeking the early establishment of the European environment agency. The Community as a whole is committed to greater openness.