Written Ministerial Statement by Hilary Benn: outcome of the Environment Council, 20 December 2007 - 16 January 2008
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn)
I represented the UK at the Environment Council in Brussels on 20 December 2007.
Political Agreement was reached on draft legislation to include airlines in the EU’s carbon emission trading scheme (EU ETS). The overall package ensures an environmentally effective scheme, most notably by ensuring that the emissions cap has been set at the average of 2004-6 emissions, in line with UK ambition. The package agreed at Council also includes: a 2012 start date in one phase; 10% auctioning for 2012, with the figure for 2013 onwards to be decided as part of the review of the EU ETS; and a de minimis clause that applies only to commercial air transport operators. The UK supports the agreement reached.
The Council was unable to reach Political Agreement on a Presidency compromise amending a Commission proposal for a Soil Framework Directive. Several Member States (including the UK) did not consider that the changes went far enough to resolve outstanding concerns, notably in relation to provisions on contaminated land and soil sealing, or to bring the proposals into line with the principles of better regulation and subsidiarity. The UK nevertheless made it clear that it remained supportive of the aims of the Commission’s Thematic Strategy for the protection of soil and of the need for all Member States to take action to improve efforts to preserve this vital natural resource.
The Council unanimously adopted Conclusions on Environment and Health.
Page published: 16 January 2008