EU perspectives on enforcement of environmental law

1. EU perspectiveson enforcementofenvironmental law Dublin, 18 October 2012 Ludwig Krämer kramer.ludwig@skynet.be

2. Context • Prognosticsaredifficult, in particular, whentheyconcernthefuture • The pointofdeparturecanonlybethepresentstateofaffairs, andtheattempttoprolongpasttrendsandtendenciesintothefuture • Time horizon: 25 years /2030

3. Climatechangeachievements • Attemptstokeeptemperatureat 2° abovepre-industrial time (1750). • EU: stop CO²-emissions by 2000 at 1990 levelsachieved reduce CO²-emissions by 8 per centby 2012 (achieved) . Reduce CO²-emissions by 2020 by 20 per cent . Emission trading (2003/87) Energyefficiency: 20% by 2020 Emission limits: cars, vans, trucks Renewablesourcesofenergy: 20% by 2020 Accessorymeasures

4. Climatechange - problems • Is 2° temperatureincreaseenoughtostopclimatechange? • EU measuresare not followedworldwide - no international EU initiative - USA, China, Brazil, Russia, Japan, etc - no post-Kyoto - environmental refugees 3. Emission tradingsuffersfromtoomanyallowances Housing: not affected Transport: weakobjectives; not forexport Renewables: EU divided (nuclear-non nuclear) coaland gas remainsupported 4. Enforcementproblems 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 GHG emissionsIreland (allowed +13%) 55 59 68 69 61 (+10,3%) GHG emissions Spain (allowed +25%) 283 314 381 435 356 (+25,8%) 5. Sanctions: -

5. Climatechangelaw– enforcementperspectives • The environmenthasnovoiceandcannotprotest • The EU is not able – not willing? – totakethedriver‘sseatforstopping global warming. Ithas not adoptedinstrumentsforthat. • The detailsoflegislationbecomemoreandmore open tomanipulation (averagecaremissions; referenceyearchangingfrom 1990 to 2005; coalfired power plants; issuingoftoomanyallowances) • Neithercriminalnor privat lawenforcementorsanctionswork. • We will achievethe 2030 targets in Europe; but not enforcethestopofclimatechange.

6. Waterprotection - achievements • Waterframeworklegislationforfreshwater (Dir.2000/60) • Waterframeworklegislationfor marine waters (Dir. 2008/56) • Canalizationand urban wastewatertreatment (Dir.91/271) • Drinkingwater (Dir.98/83) • Groundwater (Dir.2006/118)

7. Waterprotection - problems • The EU hasmoved back from an integratedwaterpolicyto a coordinatedwaterpolicy. • Inbuiltprolongationproblems • Legislationand „greenspeak“ (averageof 5 yearforbathingwater; drinkingwaterderogations; classificationofwaterstretches; „goodquality“; ) • Thresholdvaluesforgroundwatervarybetween 1 and 300 forarsenic; 1 and 1200 forcadmium; 1 and 1500 forleadandmercury. • Waterscarcityanddroughts • Agricultureandwater

8. Waterprotection– enforcementperspectives • The frameworklegislationservedmainlytobuy time. We will have a statusofwaterby 2030 (marine waters 2020) andpublicauthorities will declarethewaterstobeof „goodquality“. In themeantime, noenforcement • Withregardto marine waters, not much will havechangedwithregardtotoday. Noenforcement • Effectivelegislationneedstolimittheemissions - whichisnothingelsethanthelimitationofdischargesofpollutantsintowaters • (New) Enforcementprovisionsarenecessary • Measurestoadapttoclimatechange will benecessary (waterconsumptionofhouses;products; irrigation)

9. Enforcement - achievements • Transposition of EU environmental directives – not regulations! – into national lawisenforced, thoughnormallywithdelaysandoftenwithdifficulties. • Thereis a certainsensitivitiywithinthe EU institutions – Commission, European Parliament - asregardstransposition. • A numberof Member States havesetupenforcementagencies; theirdependency on policymakers – „hismaster‘svoice“ - varies

10. Enforcement - problems • Applicationofexistingprovisionsisinsufficient. Environmental protectionis all toooftenonly on paper. 2. International environmental provisionswhicharebinding on the EU, are not enforced, not eitherat national level. 3. The enforcementproceduresat EU levelaresecret (Commission-Member State). Civilsocietyis not involved. Wheretheprocedureis open in Member States, resultsarebetterand (mental) corruptionissmaller. 4. The Commissionis not evenusingthefewinstrumentswhichareatitsdisposal (transparency, studies, comparisons). Itseffortstoensuregoodrelationshipwith Member States prevailsoveritseffortstoensurecompliancewiththelaw. At national leveltheeffortistokeepgoodcontactstoeconomicoperators. 5. Member States enforcementbodiesact national andhardlycooperate. IMPEL is an enforcementflop.

11. Enforcement - perspectives • Thereis a needtobetternetwork in environmental enforcementissues, transnationallyas well aswithcitizensandcivilsociety. • Thereis a needto break administrative secrecyofenforcement. • Thereis a needtorecognizethatgood environmental enforcementis an asset, not a threat. • Enforcementagencies must avoidthatenvironmentprotectionsharesthefateofreligion: goodand vital in theory, but largelyignoredandsetaside in daytodaypractice. • Wemayovercomethefinancialcrisis; but we do not overcomeclimatechange.

12. „But thisis a pessimisticpresentation“ • No. But nobodyshouldbelievethat environmental protectioncanbeobtainedwithoutfighting. • „Onlywhenthe last treehasbeenfelled, the last riverpoisonedandthe last fishcaught, man will knowthat he cannoteatmoney“. Shouldweletthe last rivergetpoisoned? 3. Ifprogressexistsat all, itistobemeasured in fractionsofmillimeters. Andanyprogressrequires strong efforts.