Virginijus Sinkevičius EU debates on the Zero Pollution Action Plan
- 3 years ago
And thank you Executive Vice-President for showing importance of this initiative in a bigger picture of the European Green Deal. https://eudebates.tv/debates/eu-policies/environment-energy/zero-pollution-action-plan-for-european-air-water-and-soil/ Last year the Commission adopted the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability. It was an early bird of our wider approach towards pollution issues.
#eudebates
#EUGreenDeal
#InvestmentPlan
#EuropeanGreenDeal
#GreenDeal
#ClimateChange
#Climate
#vdLcommission
#earth
#JustTransitionFund
#UrsulavonderLeyen
#Timmermans
Together with that strategy, today's plan translates our zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment into a tangible set of actions for air, water and soil.
It is needed because the EU and its Member States must ensure certain level of life quality for citizens who are now suffering from air and noise pollution.
Premature deaths from air pollution or chronic sleep disturbance from noise pollution must gradually become a thing of the past.
Pollution is also one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and damaged ecosystems that are our key weapon against climate change.
So we have an obligation to reduce pollution to levels that are not harmful to people's health and the environment and that remain within the limits the planet can cope with.
That is the reason why apart from goals noted by Executive Vice-President action plan also aims to reduce by 25 percent the EU ecosystems areas where air pollution threatens biodiversity.
Why we also want plastic litter at sea and residual municipal waste to be reduced by 50 percent and microplastics released into the environment by 30 percent.
I also want to stress that the economic case for acting on pollution is clear. For example, it is estimated that per year air pollution in the EU costs 5 to 10 times more than it would cost to improve air quality. We also have a thriving industry and innovation capacity for clean technologies and services, and this plan should also benefit them.
How will we make this happen?
Firstly, we come up with the zero pollution hierarchy. It's a set of principles that we should first of all prevent pollution and where it is not yet possible, it should be minimised. Finally, when pollution occurred, it should be remediated – and the related damage compensated.
Secondly, we rely on our legislative framework. It must be better implemented and where necessary revised to address any gaps.
Thirdly, the plan foreseen 33 concrete initiatives and actions that mainstream pollution prevention in all the relevant EU policies. Of course, due to the lack of time we have today it would be hard to explain every action one-by-one, but I will name at least few.
On air pollution we will propose that the EU's air quality standards be aligned more closely with the upcoming WHO recommendations and that provisions on monitoring, modelling and air quality plans be strengthened to help local authorities.
#eudebates
#EUGreenDeal
#InvestmentPlan
#EuropeanGreenDeal
#GreenDeal
#ClimateChange
#Climate
#vdLcommission
#earth
#JustTransitionFund
#UrsulavonderLeyen
#Timmermans
Together with that strategy, today's plan translates our zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment into a tangible set of actions for air, water and soil.
It is needed because the EU and its Member States must ensure certain level of life quality for citizens who are now suffering from air and noise pollution.
Premature deaths from air pollution or chronic sleep disturbance from noise pollution must gradually become a thing of the past.
Pollution is also one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and damaged ecosystems that are our key weapon against climate change.
So we have an obligation to reduce pollution to levels that are not harmful to people's health and the environment and that remain within the limits the planet can cope with.
That is the reason why apart from goals noted by Executive Vice-President action plan also aims to reduce by 25 percent the EU ecosystems areas where air pollution threatens biodiversity.
Why we also want plastic litter at sea and residual municipal waste to be reduced by 50 percent and microplastics released into the environment by 30 percent.
I also want to stress that the economic case for acting on pollution is clear. For example, it is estimated that per year air pollution in the EU costs 5 to 10 times more than it would cost to improve air quality. We also have a thriving industry and innovation capacity for clean technologies and services, and this plan should also benefit them.
How will we make this happen?
Firstly, we come up with the zero pollution hierarchy. It's a set of principles that we should first of all prevent pollution and where it is not yet possible, it should be minimised. Finally, when pollution occurred, it should be remediated – and the related damage compensated.
Secondly, we rely on our legislative framework. It must be better implemented and where necessary revised to address any gaps.
Thirdly, the plan foreseen 33 concrete initiatives and actions that mainstream pollution prevention in all the relevant EU policies. Of course, due to the lack of time we have today it would be hard to explain every action one-by-one, but I will name at least few.
On air pollution we will propose that the EU's air quality standards be aligned more closely with the upcoming WHO recommendations and that provisions on monitoring, modelling and air quality plans be strengthened to help local authorities.