Europaudvalget 2015-16
Rådsmøde 3441 - miljø
Offentligt
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Council of the
European Union
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(OR. en)
EN
PRESSE 84
PR CO 76
OUTCOME OF THE COUNCIL MEETING
3441st Council meeting
Environment
Brussels, 16 December 2015
President
Carole Dieschbourg
Minister for the Environment of Luxembourg
PRESS
Rue de la Loi 175 B – 1048 BRUSSELS Tel.: +32 (0)2 281 9773 / 6319 Fax: +32 (0)2 281 8026
[email protected] http://www.consilium.europa.eu/press
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CONTENTS
1
ITEMS DEBATED
The Mid-Term Review of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 ........................................................ 4
Reduction of national emissions of pollutants ................................................................................... 14
Other business .................................................................................................................................... 14
Chemical products: REACH .............................................................................................................. 14
Medicines and sustainability .............................................................................................................. 14
Protection of the Mediterranean: Barcelona Convention ................................................................... 15
Consumption on the move ................................................................................................................. 15
Circular economy ............................................................................................................................... 15
Energy union ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Climate change: COP 21 .................................................................................................................... 15
Work programme of the incoming presidency .................................................................................. 15
OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
–
Sanctions against Syria: de-listing ......................................................................................................................... 16
BUDGET
–
Alignment of delegated acts to the EU financial regulation .................................................................................. 16
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
–
–
–
1
Schengen evaluation - Austria ............................................................................................................................... 16
SISNET accounts 2014.......................................................................................................................................... 17
Budget for SISNET 2016 ...................................................................................................................................... 17

Where declarations, conclusions or resolutions have been formally adopted by the Council, this is indicated
in the heading for the item concerned and the text is placed between quotation marks.
 
Documents for which references are given in the text are available on the Council's Internet site
(http://www.consilium.europa.eu).
 
Acts adopted with statements for the Council minutes which may be released to the public are indicated by
an asterisk; these statements are available on the Council's Internet site or may be obtained from the Press
Office.
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SOCIAL POLICY
–
Community statistics on income and living conditions ......................................................................................... 17
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ITEMS DEBATED
The Mid-Term Review of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020
The Council approved the following conclusions:
"THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
1.
RECALLING the new global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the
United Nations General Assembly at its 70th session on 25 September 2015 during the
United Nations Sustainable Development Summit;
STRESSING that one of the three key objectives of the General Union Environment
Action Programme to 2020 ‘Living well, within the limits of our planet’ 1 (the seventh
Environment Action Programme - 7th EAP) is to protect, conserve and enhance the
Union’s natural capital;
RECALLING that in its Conclusions 2 of 26 March 2010, the European Council
committed to the EU post-2010 vision 3 and headline target 4 for biodiversity as contained
in the Council Conclusions 5 'Biodiversity: Post-2010. EU and global vision and targets
and international ABS regime' of 15 March 2010;
RECALLING its Conclusions of 21 June 2011 6 on the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 7
and its Conclusions of 19 December 2011 8: 'EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020: towards its
implementation', in which the Council endorsed the Strategy and considered it, together
with its targets, to be a key instrument to enable the EU to reach its overall 2020 headline
target, whilst emphasising the need to further discuss its actions so as to ensure its effective
and coherent implementation;
2.
3.
4.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Decision No 1386/2013/EU of 20 November 2013.
EUCO 7/1/10 REV 1.
7536/10, p. 4: "by 2050 European Union biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides –
its natural capital – are protected, valued and appropriately restored for biodiversity's intrinsic
value and for their essential contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity, and so
that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided".
7536/10, p. 4: "halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in
the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU
contribution to averting global biodiversity loss".
7536/10.
11978/11 + COR 1.
Communication from the Commission: 'Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU
biodiversity strategy to 2020' (9658/11 - COM (2011) 244 final).
18862/11.
4
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5.
TAKING NOTE of the report 'The European environment - state and outlook 2015' (SOER
2015) from the European Environment Agency (EEA), the report from the Commission on
the 'State of Nature in the European Union' 1 of 20 May 2015 and the Global Biodiversity
Outlook 4 prepared by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD);
RECOGNISING that targeted conservation actions to implement the EU Biodiversity
Strategy to 2020 (hereinafter 'the Strategy') have brought successes and STRESSING the
need for greater effort towards achieving the six targets of the Strategy, especially by
ensuring adequate management of the Natura 2000 network of protected land and marine
areas, and for continued efforts aimed at integrating and mainstreaming biodiversity into
other policy areas, such as policies on consumption and production patterns, the Common
Agricultural Policy (CAP), the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and the Cohesion, Trade
and Development policies, in order to meet the EU 2050 vision and the 2020 headline
target for biodiversity;
6.
Horizontal issues
7.
APPRECIATES the report from the Commission on 'The Mid-Term Review of the EU
Biodiversity Strategy' 2 of 2 October 2015 and its evidence-based approach and CALLS on
the Commission and the Member States to raise awareness of the relevance of biodiversity
and the ecosystem services it provides on this basis, including in all relevant reviews of
other policies;
CALLS on the Member States to further improve the implementation of their national
biodiversity strategies and action plans and RECALLS the importance of the Strategy's
common implementation framework;
TAKES NOTE that the political and legal instruments dedicated to nature and biodiversity
such as the Strategy, the Birds 3 and Habitats 4 Directives, the Water Framework Directive
5 (WFD) and Marine Strategy Framework Directive 6 (MSFD), the Regulation on invasive
alien species 7 and the LIFE programme 1 form the Union basis for the protection of
nature and biodiversity in the EU;
8.
9.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
9534/15.
12683/15.
Directive 2009/147/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 November 2009
on the conservation of wild birds.
Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of
wild fauna and flora.
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000
establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy.
Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 June 2008
establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy.
Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October
2014 on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien
species.
5
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10.
CALLS on the Commission and the Member States to further integrate and mainstream
targets for biodiversity in the development and implementation of all relevant EU and
national sectoral policies, including funding instruments and decision-making processes,
and EMPHASISES that the fulfilment of the biodiversity-related objectives included in
other policy areas is key to the full implementation of the Strategy;
HIGHLIGHTS the importance of cooperation with all relevant sectors, both public and
private, and other stakeholders, and the contribution that they can make to achieving the
targets of the Strategy; EMPHASISES the importance of the Business and Biodiversity
Platforms and of sharing experiences and best practices with regard to business and
biodiversity initiatives;
UNDERSCORES that financing actions aimed at protecting, valuing and restoring
biodiversity and related ecosystem services should be regarded as an investment, essential
for Europe's resource efficiency and for meeting the sustainable growth objective of the
Europe 2020 Strategy, noting for instance that the economic benefits of the Natura 2000
Network 2 alone are estimated at EUR 200-300 billion per annum;
STRESSES AGAIN the need to ensure that the implementation of the Multiannual
Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020 supports the achievement of the targets set
out in the Strategy and CALLS on the Commission to work on biodiversity-proofing the
EU budget, including an analysis of the effectiveness of an integrated approach for
biodiversity financing;
REITERATES the importance of mobilising and effectively using both EU and national
financial resources from all possible sources as appropriate, including innovative financial
mechanisms, in order to ensure adequate levels of funding to meet the Strategy targets;
NOTES the results of the preparatory action on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in
Territories of European Overseas (BEST), the funding available under the Commission's
Best 2.0 programme, and URGES the Commission and the Member States to move
forward on sustainable partnerships dedicated to mobilising resources to protect the unique
ecosystems and the services they provide in the EU Outermost Regions and Overseas
Countries and Territories;
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
1
2
Regulation (EU) No 1293/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
11 December 2013 on the establishment of a Programme for the Environment and Climate
Action (LIFE) and repealing Regulation (EC) No 614/2007.
Study from the Commission on the economic benefits of the Natura 2000 Network available
here: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/financing/docs/ENV-12-
018_LR_Final1.pdf.
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16.
EMPHASISES that in its Conclusions 1 of 16 December 2014 on the Special Report by the
European Court of Auditors: 'Is the ERDF effective in funding projects that directly
promote biodiversity under the EU biodiversity strategy 2020?' 2, it took note of the
Court's findings that Member States did not always recognise the European Regional
Development Fund (ERDF) as a possible instrument for promoting biodiversity, while its
potential for financing Natura 2000 was not sufficiently realised, and welcomed its
recommendations; and CALLS on the Commission and the Member States to further
develop a mechanism to track biodiversity-related funding, as called for in the 7th EAP;
RESTATES the importance of further developing a coherent and open framework for
monitoring, assessing and reporting on progress in implementing the Strategy in order to
integrate existing data and knowledge on biodiversity, ecosystems and their services into
the decision-making processes; INVITES the Commission to fully use the data already
reported under environmental data flows and CALLS on the Member States and other
interested parties to address data gaps, especially on the marine environment in
cooperation with Regional Conventions, which will allow for improved conservation;
REITERATES its call, from the conclusions on 'Greening the European semester and the
Europe 2020 Strategy - Mid-Term Review' 3 of 28 October 2014, for the Commission and
the Member States to promote, among other key instruments, further synergies between
natural and cultural capital, to develop a system for the valuation of natural resources, and
of biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides, in line with the 7th EAP guidance,
with a view to developing indicators for monitoring economic progress, and to track how
our natural capital continues to deliver essential ecosystem services in the long term;
STRESSES the fundamental role of terrestrial, freshwater and marine biodiversity and
related ecosystem services in climate change mitigation and adaptation and CALLS for
effective integration of biodiversity issues within the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD);
17.
18.
19.
Fully implement the Birds and Habitats Directives – Target 1
4 5
20.
CONFIRMS that the Birds and Habitats Directives are essential components of European
nature protection and that their effectiveness depends on consistent implementation and
adequate financial resources, as well as on the integration of biodiversity into other sectoral
policies and REITERATES that full implementation of the Birds and Habitats Directives is
key to achieving the targets of the Strategy;
1
2
3
4
5
16332/14.
13428/14.
14731/14.
The targets and actions referred to in these conclusions are contained in the Communication
from the Commission 'Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to
2020' (9658/11 - COM(2011) 244 final).
See Aichi Targets 5 and 12 from the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
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21.
HIGHLIGHTS that, whereas there are many habitats and species that still have an
unfavourable conservation status, there are clear indications that the Natura 2000 network
is playing a major role in improving the status of these species and habitats, especially
where the necessary conservation measures have been implemented on an adequate scale;
URGES the Member States to complete the establishment of the Natura 2000 network in
order to contribute to achieving Aichi Target 11 and to develop and implement
comprehensive plans or other equivalent instruments for the effective management of all
Natura 2000 sites;
REGRETS that illegal killing of protected species, especially birds, still represents a major
threat to the conservation of a number of those species in the EU and CALLS on the
Commission and the Member States to review the available information concerning illegal
killing, to improve procedures and to take urgent actions to prevent, detect and sanction
breaches of the Birds and Habitats Directives;
CALLS on the Commission and the Member States to ensure predictable, adequate, regular
and targeted funding for the proper management of the Natura 2000 network and for the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and related ecosystem services, within, as
well as beyond, Natura 2000 areas by further integrating biodiversity into the financial
instruments, taking into account the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF)
national programming and using tools such as the Prioritised Action Framework (PAF);
UNDERLINES the importance of maintaining the goals and of not lowering the nature
protection standards of the Birds and Habitats Directives in order to achieve the 2020
headline target for biodiversity and of maintaining legal certainty for all stakeholders,
including businesses and Member States' authorities;
LOOKS FORWARD to receiving the results of the fitness check of the Birds and Habitats
Directives in the first half of 2016, which is likely to allow for the identification of
measures to further strengthen the implementation of the biodiversity protection
framework;
HIGHLIGHTS the need for the Member States and the Commission to raise public
awareness of all the benefits of the Natura 2000 network;
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
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Maintain and Restore Ecosystems and their Services – Target 2
1
28.
STRESSES the importance of implementing an ecosystem-based approach for
safeguarding biodiversity and UNDERSCORES that whilst the first priority remains to
protect biodiversity and ecosystems as well as the services they provide, ecosystem
restoration is a key activity that can help to reverse some of the losses of ecosystems and
related services while contributing to the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development;
WELCOMES the progress in the Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their
Services and ENCOURAGES the Member States to intensify their efforts towards
valuation and accounting of ecosystem services i.e. for the benefit of planning and
development processes and decisions, including implementing green infrastructure;
ACKNOWLEDGES that the Communication from the Commission on Green
Infrastructure (GI) – Enhancing Europe’s Natural Capital
2
has promoted the deployment
of green infrastructure in the EU in urban and rural areas; UNDERSCORES the major
potential of green infrastructure to deliver multiple services if fully integrated into planning
frameworks at all levels and in cross-boundary cooperation; WELCOMES the progress
made in its implementation and CALLS on the Commission to put forward by 2017 a
proposal for an instrument equivalent to the existing trans-European networks for green
infrastructure in Europe - TEN-G;
RECOGNISES the importance of integrating green infrastructure and nature-based
solutions into financing instruments such as the ERDF and ACKNOWLEDGES that the
EU Natural Capital Financing Facility is an additional source of financial support with the
potential to leverage private funding for projects that could demonstrate benefits for
biodiversity and for the economy;
RECOGNISES that restoration strategies and activities are under way in the EU, although
the status of knowledge needs to be further improved in order to assess their contribution
to meeting Target 2 and INVITES the Member States to further define restoration priorities
to be taken into account in national restoration prioritisation or equivalent frameworks;
CONSIDERS that an integrated spatial planning approach at landscape and seascape scale
can also reduce loss of ecosystems, avoid further degradation and promote restoration;
URGES the Commission to put forward by 2016 an initiative setting out a common
approach to ensure No-Net-Loss of biodiversity as foreseen in the Strategy taking into
account national legal frameworks;
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
1
2
See Aichi Targets 14 and 15 from the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
9436/13.
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35.
CALLS on the Commission and the Member States to ensure implementation of the WFD
and MSFD and other relevant legislation to contribute to the conservation and restoration
of biodiversity and ecosystems and to prevent damages to them;
Increase the contribution of Agriculture and Forestry to maintaining and enhancing biodiversity –
Target 3
1
36.
STRESSES the particular importance of an enhanced contribution by the agricultural
sector to the Strategy; NOTES with concern that agriculture is one of the most prominent
pressures on terrestrial ecosystems and that there has been no measurable improvement in
the status of agriculture-related habitats and species covered by the Habitats Directive until
2012 and REGRETS the significant declines of farmland birds, grassland butterflies and
pollination services, which underline continuing pressures from certain agricultural
practices, such as some modalities of abandonment and intensification of agricultural land;
RECOGNISES that the 2013 reform of the CAP aims at further integrating biodiversity
conservation requirements into Direct Payments and Rural Development measures;
URGES the Member States to fully use all the instruments that the CAP offers to
effectively contribute to protecting and enhancing biodiversity and ecosystem services and
achieve policy coherence and sustainable agriculture;
CALLS UPON the Commission to fully evaluate the effects of the implementation of the
CAP and its subsidies on biodiversity in the future agricultural policy reviews and to
identify, together with the Member States, concrete solutions to ensuring adequate
integration of biodiversity in the further development of the CAP and its financial
instruments; and STRESSES the importance of sustainable agriculture for the transition
towards a sustainable climate-neutral society;
ACKNOWLEDGES that biodiversity for food and agriculture has significant potential for
improving global sustainable food security and for climate change mitigation and
adaptation and ENCOURAGES the Commission and the Member States to fully
implement the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture;
UNDERSCORES the importance of healthy forest ecosystems, and sustainable forest
management, in ensuring the protection of biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem
services; EMPHASISES the importance of strengthening the forest knowledge base
including a detailed analysis of influencing factors in the dynamics of forest ecosystems
such as landscape ecology, air pollution, climate change, pests and diseases, land
degradation, forest fires, and changes in the water regime; and EXPRESSES deep concern
about the further decrease in the favourable conservation status of forest habitats of
European importance to about 15%;
37.
38.
39.
40.
1
See Aichi Target 7 from the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
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41.
TAKES NOTE of the report "State of Europe's Forests 2015" published at the 7th
Ministerial Conference of the Forest Europe process, and HIGHLIGHTS the need for
further collaborative work to improve information base, building on national forest
inventories, with the forest sector on all aspects of monitoring, assessment and reporting
related to forests and forest-related biodiversity aspects;
INVITES the Member States to encourage maximum use of forest management plans or
equivalent instruments and to include therein appropriate measures for conservation and
restoration of protected and other species and habitats of the forest ecosystems within, as
well as beyond, Natura 2000 areas;
STRESSES the importance of identifying appropriate measures to ensure that biodiversity
concerns are met in Union policies on bioenergy, including measures to avoid adverse
impacts;
42.
43.
Ensure the sustainable use of Fisheries Resources – Target 4
1
44.
NOTES the Commission Communication "Consultation on the fishing opportunities for
2016 under the CFP" 2; RECOGNISES the fact that a number of European fish stocks are
still at risk due to overfishing and that the use of certain fishing methods can have adverse
impacts on other, non-targeted, species and habitats and STRESSES the importance of the
ecosystem-based approach, monitoring and enforcement to minimise the negative effects
of these fishing methods, gradually eliminate discards, avoid the by-catch of unwanted
species and preserve vulnerable marine ecosystems in accordance with Union legislation
and international obligations;
CONSIDERS it necessary to phase out those capacity-enhancing subsidies which lead to
overexploitation of fish stocks and RECOGNISES the important steps in that direction that
have been taken under the European Maritime Fisheries Fund;
STRESSES the importance of the conservation and restoration of marine, freshwater and
estuarine habitats and species as required by the Birds and Habitats Directives, the MSFD
and the WFD, in particular through the implementation of the Natura 2000 network, and
EMPHASISES the need for the conservation and restoration of habitats for long-distance
migrating species;
CONSIDERS that the development of long-term regional sustainable management plans
based on scientific recommendations is a key principle for the protection of the biological
diversity of marine, freshwater and estuarine environments;
45.
46.
47.
1
2
See Aichi Target 6 from the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
9341/15 COM(2015) 239 final.
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48.
URGES the Member States to fully use all the instruments that the CFP offers to achieve
the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate on a progressive incremental basis at the
latest by 2020 for all stocks, with the aim of ensuring that exploitation of living marine
biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels
which can produce maximum sustainable yield and to combat illegal, unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing;
Combat Invasive Alien Species (IAS) – Target 5
1
49.
WELCOMES the fact that the EU is on track with the actions envisaged under Target 5 in
order to achieve it by 2020 and is contributing significantly to the achievement of Aichi
Target 9; in this respect, HIGHLIGHTS the importance and the urgency of adopting a first
list of invasive alien species of Union concern and keeping this list up-to-date;
URGES the Member States and the Commission to follow up on the list of invasive alien
species of Union concern with concrete measures and comprehensive and coherent
implementation actions in order to reach the objectives of the Regulation on invasive alien
species;
STRESSES the importance of the Ballast Water Convention 2 and ENCOURAGES the
Member States to ratify it in order to limit the spread of invasive alien species from ships
and thus facilitate achievement of the target;
50.
51.
Help avert global biodiversity loss – Target 6
52.
REITERATES the importance of the EU and its Member States' contribution to averting
global biodiversity loss and enhancing its global governance; UNDERLINES that ensuring
the achievement of the Strategy's targets will contribute to achieving the global
commitment on biodiversity contained in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 3
and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, as well as the global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, which recognises biodiversity as a cornerstone for sustainable development
and poverty eradication, and in particular all biodiversity related Goals and their targets;
and INVITES the Commission and the Member States to ensure coherence and
complementarity in the implementation of these processes, including through the use of
coherent sets of indicators and through the agenda on Policy Coherence for Development;
1
2
3
See Aichi Target 9 from the CBD Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.
International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and
Sediments.
Decision UNEP/CBD/COP/DEC/X/2 of 29 October 2010 adopted by the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity at its tenth meeting.
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53.
WELCOMES the establishment by the General Assembly of the United Nations of a
preparatory Committee to make substantive recommendations on the elements of a draft
text of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity
of areas beyond national jurisdiction;
UNDERLINES the crucial importance of marine protected areas in helping to avert marine
biodiversity loss and the need to assess the cumulative impacts of human activities on
marine biodiversity;
REITERATES the need to ensure that biodiversity concerns are systematically reflected in
all relevant trade agreements concluded by the EU, and in the Union's and Member States'
development cooperation actions and programmes, and that such provisions are fully
implemented by all parties;
CALLS on the Member States and the Commission to continue working to achieve Aichi
Target 3 on phasing out incentives, including subsidies, harmful to biodiversity and
developing positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity by
2020 in all relevant sectoral policies;
HIGHLIGHTS the importance of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and
the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation and CALLS ON
the Member States to ratify it as soon as possible;
RECOGNISES the threat to global biodiversity posed by poaching and illegal killings and
the need for urgent and coordinated action to combat the illegal trade in wildlife; and
WELCOMES the development of an EU Action Plan against Wildlife Trafficking;
EMPHASISES that the impact of EU production and consumption patterns must be
reduced to avert global biodiversity loss and to deliver on the global 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development; and STRESSES the importance of international cooperation in
this area, including within the CBD, the International Resource Panel and the 10-year
framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns;
TAKES NOTE of the new circular economy package that intends to minimise the EU
impacts on global biodiversity and, in this context, RECALLS the importance of
promoting resource efficiency and the circular economy;
WELCOMES the Commission's intention to carry out a feasibility study on an EU action
to address global deforestation in 2016;
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
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62.
CALLS on the Member States and the Commission to contribute to delivering, together, on
the international commitment for resource mobilisation to double total biodiversity-related
international financial resource flows by 2015 to developing countries, in particular least
developed countries and Small Island States, as well as countries with economies in
transition, using average annual biodiversity funding for the years 2006-2010 as a baseline,
and at least maintain this level until 2020, in line with Aichi Target 20,
and ENCOURAGES the Commission and the Member States to report on their
contributions to collective efforts to mobilise resources to implement the Aichi
Biodiversity Targets."
Reduction of national emissions of pollutants
The Council agreed on a general approach for the proposed directive to reduce national emissions
of certain pollutants. This agreement will serve as a basis for negotiations with the European
Parliament on this file.
This legislative proposal reviews the annual caps per country for emissions of certain air pollutants,
introducing new reduction commitments from 2020 to 2029 and from 2030 onwards.
The aim is to further address the health risks and environmental impact of air pollution, as well as to
align EU law with international commitments (following the revision of the Gothenburg Protocol in
2012).
For more information see the
press release
Other business
Chemical products: REACH
Ministers discussed challenges and options for improving legislation on chemical products
(REACH).
Information note from the Presidency
Medicines and sustainability
The Swedish delegation informed the ministers about sustainable methods of producing and
consuming medicine and managing the resulting waste.
Information note from the Swedish delegation
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Protection of the Mediterranean: Barcelona Convention
The Greek delegation informed the Council about the 19th ordinary meeting of the Contracting
Parties (COP19) to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal
Region of the Mediterranean and its Protocols (Barcelona Convention), which will take place in
Athens from 9 to 12 February 2016.
Note from the Greek delegation
Consumption on the move
The Belgian delegation made the case for a European deposit scheme and explained how to reduce
pollution caused by consumption on the move.
Note from the Belgian delegation
Circular economy
The Commission presented its package of proposals to promote the circular economy and some
ministers gave their first impressions on the package.
Information on the circular economy package (European Commission)
Energy union
The Commission presented to the ministers its report on the state of the energy union.
State of the energy union report (European Commission)
Climate change: COP 21
The Presidency and the Commission informed the ministers about the outcome of the UN climate
change conference in Paris (COP 21) where a global agreement on climate change was reached.
Meeting page of the Paris UN climate change conference
Work programme of the incoming presidency
The Netherlands delegation, which will take over the presidency of the Council from January to
June 2016, briefed the ministers on its work programme on environment issues for those six
months.
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16 December 2015
OTHER ITEMS APPROVED
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Sanctions against Syria: de-listing
The Council amended decision 2013/255/CFSP concerning restrictive measures against Syria in
order to remove one person and two entities from the list of natural and legal persons, entities or
bodies subject to restrictive measures set out in annex I to the decision.
The decision will enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal
of the EU.
BUDGET
Alignment of delegated acts to the EU financial regulation
The Council decided not to object to two Commission regulations updating two delegated acts to
align them to the amended EU financial regulation (13721/15 +
13722/15).
The EU financial regulation was amended in October 2015 to bring the procurement procedures
used by the EU institutions for awarding contracts or grants into line with the new procurement
rules applicable to member states as set out in directives 2014/24/EU and 2014/23/EU. The EU
financial regulation sets out the financial rules applicable to the EU budget.
The two Commission regulations are delegated acts pursuant to article 290 of the Treaty on the
Functioning of the EU. This means that now that the Council has decided not to object to them, they
can enter into force, unless the European Parliament objects to them.
JUSTICE AND HOME AFFAIRS
Schengen evaluation - Austria
The Council adopted a recommendation on addressing the deficiencies identified in the 2015
evaluation of Austria's application of the Schengen acquis in the field of return.
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SISNET accounts 2014
The General Secretariat of the Council has drawn up the revenue and expenditure account and
balance sheet for SISNET, following auditing of the accounts by the Court of Auditors.
Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden, as well as Iceland and Norway, meeting within the
Council, gave a discharge to the Secretary-General in respect of the SISNET budget’s
implementation for the year 2014, in accordance with Council Decision 2000/265/EC
1
on the
establishment of a financial regulation governing the budgetary aspects of the management by the
Deputy Secretary-General of the Council of contracts concluded in his name, on behalf of certain
member states, relating to the installation and the functioning of the communication infrastructure
for the Schengen environment, 'SISNET'.
Budget for SISNET 2016
The Council adopted the budget for the installation and the functioning of the communication
infrastructure for the Schengen environment (SISNET) for 2016. For more information, see
14772/15.
SOCIAL POLICY
Community statistics on income and living conditions
The Council decided not to oppose the adoption of Commission regulation (EU) No …/.. of XXX
implementing regulation (EC) No 1177/2003 concerning Community statistics on income and
living conditions (EU-SILC) as regards the 2017 list of target secondary variables on health and
children's health (12998/15).
1
OJ L 85, 6.4.2000.
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