Environment negotiations closed with all acceding countries

Negotiations on the environment were provisionally closed with the 10 countries that according to the EU, could be ready to join by 2004, the Malta-EU Information Centre said in its latest update of negotiations.

These 10 countries are: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Negotiations on this chapter are still open with Bulgaria and Romania.

The environmental acquis covers a wide range of measures, mostly in the form of directives.

In broad terms EU environmental legislation covers environmental protection, polluting and other activities, production processes, procedures and procedural rights as well as products. Apart from horizontal issues (environmental impact assessments, access to information on environment, combating climate change), quality standards are set for air, waste management, water, nature protection, industrial pollution control, chemicals and genetically modified organisms, noise and nuclear safety and radiation protection (safety issues arising from the use of nuclear energy are part of the energy chapter).

Despite significant improvements, such as cleaner air and safer drinking water the environmental acquis is developing significantly. The new environment action programme identifies four priority areas: climate change, nature and biodiversity, environment and health and natural resources and waste.

According to a study financed by the European Commission, the estimated total value of the benefits of EU directives for the acceding countries will range from €134 to €681 billion.

The following special arrangements were obtained (all transition periods start from January 2003):

Cyprus
Opened December 1999, closed July 2001:
1 year: for sulphur content of certain liquid fuels.
3 years: for recovery targets of packaging waste.
10 years: for treatment of urban waste water.

Czech Republic
Opened December 1999, closed June 2001:
3 years: for recovery and recycling of package waste.
8 years: for treatment of urban waste water.

Estonia
Opened December 1999, closed June 2001:
4 years: for emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from petrol storage.
7 years: for landfill of oil shale.
8 years: for treatment of urban waste water.
11 years: for quality of drinking water.

Hungary
Opened December 1999, closed June 2001:
2 years: for air pollution from large combustion plants.
3 years: for incineration of hazardous waste.
3 years: for recovery, recycling of packaging waste.
13 years: for treatment of urban waste water.

Latvia
Opened March 2001, closed November 2001:
2 years: for landfill of waste
2 years: for storage of asbestos waste.
3 years: for health protection against ionising radiation in medical exposure.
5 years: for recovery, recycling of packaging waste.
6 years: for emissions of VOCs from petrol storage.
8 years: for integrated pollution prevention control (IPPC).
13 years: for treatment of urban waste water.
13 years: for quality of drinking water.

Lithuania
Opened November 2000, closed June 2001:
4 years: for recovery, recycling of packaging waste.
5 years: for emissions of VOCs from storage of petrol.
7 years: for treatment of urban waste water.

Malta
Opened June 2001, closed October 2002:
2 years: for emissions of VOCs from storage of petrol
2 years: for air pollution from large combustion plants.
3 years: for quality of drinking water.
4 years 3 months: for discharges of dangerous substances into surface water.
4 years 3 months: for treatment of urban waste water.
5 years: for recovery, recycling of beverage packaging.
6 years: for protection of wild birds, use of clap-nets for capture of seven finch species in order to establish a captive breeding system.
7 years: for recovery, recycling of plastic.

Poland
Opened December 1999, closed October 2001:
3 years: for emissions of volatile organic compounds from petrol storage.
4 years: for sulphur content of liquid fuels.
4 years: for health protection against ionising radiation in medical exposure.
5 years: for recovery, recycling of packaging waste; for shipment of waste.
5 years: for discharges of dangerous substances into surface water.
8 years: for IPPC.
10 years: for waste landfills.
13 years: for treatment of urban waste water.

Slovakia
Opened March 2001, closed December 2001:
4 years: for discharges of dangerous substances into surface water.
4 years: for incineration of hazardous waste.
5 years: for emissions of VOCs from storage of petrol.
5 years: for air pollution from large combustion plants.
9 years: for IPPC.
13 years: for treatment of urban waste water.

Slovenia
Opened December 1999, March 2001:
5 years: for recovery and recycling of packaging waste.
9 years: for IPPC.
13 years: for treatment of urban waste water.