Council fears over EU Environment Programme

That is the warning from the Local Government Association today (December 7) following the publication of the draft EU 7th Environmental Action Programme (EAP), which sets out a framework for all new European environmental policy and regulation until 2020.

Issued last week (November 29), the plan builds on a number of recent strategic initiatives in the field of environment, including the Resource Efficiency Roadmap and the Low Carbon Economy Roadmap.

On waste,it aims to ensure that by 2020: waste is safely managed as a resource, waste generated per capita is in absolute decline, energy recovery is limited to non-recyclable materials and landfilling of recyclable and compostable materials is effectively eradicated.

The LGA is particularly concerned about the implications of the draft plan, which also covers areas such as air quality and water, because the UK government put in place arrangements through the Localism Act this year which allow it to more easily pass on any fines it receives for failing to comply with any new legislation or targets to local councils.

The LGA said: The Local Government Association will be supporting councils in their efforts to meet EU targets, but getting new regulations and their implementation right is now more crucial than ever.

Before the EU adopts new laws, it will receive formal advice from the Committee of the Regions (CoR), a body which represents councils from the EUs 27 member states, designed to ensure the regulations are realistic and do not impose undue burdens for regional and local authorities.

Response

In the run up to the draft 7th EAP, Cllr Nilgun Canver, London borough of Haringey and member of the LGA, drafted the CoRs consultation response on better implementation of the environment law, liaising with councillors from across Europe to ensure their concerns were reflected and communicated to the EU.

Cllr Canver stressed the need for the EU legislators to listen to councils to ensure that any future environmental laws and targets are fair, achievable and do not put town halls, which are already managing severe funding cuts, at risk of facing millions of pounds in fines.

She said: We all want to make our communities cleaner, greener and more healthy places to live and work and theres a great appetite among councils to meet the EUs environmental ideals. This is a role which will become even more central to our councils when they take over responsibility for public health next year.

However, what sounds good on paper in Brussels must be workable on the ground in our communities and its crucial the voice of councils is heard. It is in everyones interest that EU rules and deadlines agreed between MEPs and national ministers are realistic and achievable, with an absolute understanding of how these will be implemented locally.

The risk of millions of pounds of EU fines being imposed on the UK for not achieving European commitments has always been there, but the potential for the Government to now pass fines on to councils is new. Government needs to take a forensic look at the impact these new proposals have on councils, and whether or not these are workable.

Cuts

Cllr Canver added that councils are currently having to manage severe spending cuts and were already struggling to fund frontline services such as collecting bins:

She said: Having to pay millions of pounds in fines because of unworkable environmental targets could throw already stretched budgets into disarray.

The EU must be particularly wary about ambitions which rely on investment in new technology and equipment. Councils may well want to make such investments, but currently many simply dont have the money in this tough economic climate.

The EU will adopt the draft plan in 2013 as the basis for new policy initiatives, regulations and funding programmes in the period 2014 to 2020.