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Environment policy: general principles and basic framework

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Summary

This article provides an overview of the European Union's environment policy. It covers the principles of the policy, the legal basis, origins and development, general principles, basic framework, environmental impact assessment and public participation, implementation and enforcement, monitoring, and the role of the European Parliament. The European Union's environment policy is based on the principles of precaution, prevention, rectifying pollution at source, and the 'polluter pays' principle. It is implemented through multiannual environmental action programmes, horizontal strategies, and international environmental negotiations. The European Commission's European Green Deal is the main driver of its economic growth strategy. The article also outlines the European Parliament's role in shaping EU environmental law.

Q&As

What are the legal principles of European Environment policy?
The legal principles of European Environment policy are precaution, prevention and rectifying pollution at source, and the ‘polluter pays’ principle.

What is the European Green Deal and what are its goals?
The European Green Deal is the main driver of the European Commission's economic growth strategy and its goals are to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world, achieve the 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target and climate neutrality by 2050, enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change, advance towards a regenerative growth model, decouple economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy, pursue a zero-pollution ambition, protect, preserve and restore biodiversity, and reduce environmental and climate pressures related to production and consumption.

What is the role of the European Parliament in shaping EU environmental law?
The European Parliament plays a major role in shaping EU environmental law. It has dealt with legislation deriving from the circular economy action plan, climate change issues, and more. It has also criticised the unsatisfactory level of implementation of environmental law in the Member States, and made several recommendations for a more efficient implementation.

What is the European Environment Agency and what does it do?
The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an international network of the environmental authorities of EU Member States, accession and candidate countries, as well as Norway, created to boost enforcement by providing a platform for policymakers, environmental inspectors and enforcement officers to exchange ideas and best practice. It supports the development, implementation and evaluation of environment policy and informs the general public on the matter.

What are the key elements of the European Farm to Fork strategy?
The key elements of the European Farm to Fork strategy are to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly, reduce the use and risk of chemical pesticides, reduce the use of fertilisers, reduce the use of antibiotics in animal farming, reduce food waste, and promote sustainable food production and consumption.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides a comprehensive overview of the European Union's environmental policy framework and the various initiatives it has taken to protect our environment.

👎 This article fails to address the issue of how to adequately fund the initiatives proposed in the article in order to ensure their success.

AI Discussion

Me: It discusses the European Union's environment policy, its general principles, basic framework, legal basis, origins and development, international environmental cooperation, environmental impact assessment and public participation, implementation, enforcement and monitoring, and the role of the European Parliament.

Friend: Wow, that's a lot of information. What are the implications of this article?

Me: Well, it shows that the EU is serious about protecting the environment and is committed to making Europe the first climate-neutral continent in the world. It also emphasizes the importance of public participation in environmental decision-making and the need for effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal sanctions for the most serious environmental offences. Additionally, it suggests that the EU should focus on integrating environmental considerations into other policy areas and developing international environmental agreements.

Action items

Research the European Green Deal and the European Commission's Farm to Fork Strategy to learn more about the EU's environmental policy initiatives.
Learn more about the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) and the European Environment Agency (EEA) to understand how the EU is monitoring and enforcing environmental law.
Explore the European Parliament's role in shaping EU environmental law and the Aarhus Convention to understand the importance of public participation in environmental decision-making.

Technical terms

Precautionary Principle: A risk management tool that may be invoked when there is scientific uncertainty about a suspected risk to human health or to the environment emanating from a certain action or policy.
Polluter Pays Principle: A principle that requires the costs of pollution to be borne by those who cause it.
Subsidiarity: The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest possible level of government.
Codecision Procedure: A legislative procedure in the European Union in which the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union share the power to adopt legislation.
Qualified Majority Voting: A voting system used in the Council of the European Union in which a proposal is adopted if it receives the support of a specified proportion of member states.
Strategic Environmental Assessment: A process of evaluating the likely significant environmental effects of a proposed plan or programme, and of considering alternatives, before a decision is taken and the plan or programme is implemented.
Environmental Impact Assessment: A process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development, and of considering alternatives, before a decision is taken and the project or development is implemented.
Environmental Liability Directive: A directive that aims to prevent or otherwise remedy environmental damage to protected species or to natural habitats, water and soil.
Sustainable Development Strategy: A strategy that brings an environmental dimension to its Lisbon strategy.
Biodiversity Strategy: A strategy that reflects the commitments made within the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Farm to Fork Strategy: A strategy that aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly.
Environmental Implementation Review: A tool designed to help reach full implementation of EU environmental legislation.
European Earth Observation Programme: A programme that provides satellite observation data on land, marine, atmosphere and climate change.
European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register: A register that provides key environmental data from more than 30,000 industrial facilities in the EU.