Environment and Health - Draft Council conclusions

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1.

Tekst

With a view to the meeting of the Working Party on the Environment on Monday,

19 November 2007, delegations will find attached a compromise text of the draft Council

conclusions on the above issue, as prepared by the Portuguese Presidency, taking into account

comments from Member States.

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ANNEX

Environment and Health

Draft Council conclusions

The Council of the European Union,

  • 1. 
    CONCERNED about the health problems associated with environmental determinants, such as respiratory diseases, asthma and allergies, neurodevelopment disorders, cancer, and

endocrine disrupter effects 1 , and particularly those affecting vulnerable population groups such as children in their different developmental stages, pregnant women, the elderly, and the

socio-economically disadvantaged;

  • 2. 
    RECOGNISING that enhanced cooperation at all levels is required in order to better assess impacts, to prepare adequate responses and to advance disease prevention and health

promotion;

  • 3. 
    RECALLING the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) 2 where one of the key challenges is public health with the overall objective to promote good public health on

equal conditions and improve protection against health threats, including actions on

environment and health;

  • 4. 
    EVOKING the Sixth Community Environment Action Programme 3 aimed at contributing to a high level of quality of life and social well-being for citizens by providing an environment

where the level of pollution does not give rise to harmful effects on human health and

environment;

1 EEA Report, No. 10/2005. 2 10117/06 of the Council of European Union, 9 June 2006. 3 Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and the Council, 22 July 2002.

  • 5. 
    RECALLING the European Environment and Health Strategy 4 and its Action Plan 2004 2010 5 designed to improve the information chain to understand the links between sources of pollution and health effects, to fill the knowledge gap by strengthening research and

addressing the emerging issues concerning the environment and health and to review policies

and improve communication;

  • 6. 
    TAKING NOTE of the Commission Communication on a "Mid-term Review of the European Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010" 6 , which reviews progress and identifies areas that should receive particular attention in future;
  • 7. 
    BEARING IN MIND the Conclusions on Health in All Policies 7 adopted by the Council in November 2006, which called for a plan for work in Health in All Policies and the

development of the knowledge base on health and its determinants, on trends in them, and in

health inequalities;

  • 8. 
    TAKING NOTE OF the recently adopted "Together for Health: A Strategic Approach for the EU 2008-2013" 8 , aimed at fostering good health in an ageing Europe, protecting citizens from health threats and supporting dynamic health systems and new technologies;

[ 9. REFERRING TO the Second Programme of Community Action in the Field of Health (2008 2013) 9 , aimed at complementing, supporting and adding value to the policies of the Member States and contributing to increased solidarity and prosperity in the European Union

by protecting and promoting human health and safety and improving public health;]

4 COM(2003) 338 final, 11 June 2003. 5 COM(2004) 416 final, 9 June 2004 6 COM(2007) 314 final, 11 June 2007 7 16167/06. 8 COM(2007)630 Final 9 COM(2005)0115 Final - still to be adopted.

  • 10. 
    WELCOMING the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for

Research and Technological Development 10 that includes specific actions in the field of environment and health;

  • 11. 
    ACKNOWLEDGING the importance of the four World Health Organisation (WHO)

Ministerial Conferences, which culminated in the adoption of the European Charter on

Environment and Health 11 (1989), the Helsinki 12 (1994), London 13 (1999) and Budapest 14 (2004) Declarations, and the Intergovernmental Mid-term Review (2007) 15 ;

  • 12. 
    RECOGNISING the important work done under the framework of the Children Environment

Health Action Plan (CEHAPE) 16 ;

  • 13. 
    REFERRING to the report "Health and the Environment in the WHO European Region:

situation and policy at the beginning of the 21 st century" 17 , which assesses the situation and policy with regard to human health and the environment in the WHO European Region;

  • 14. 
    TAKING NOTE OF the "Building bridges to the Future" Declaration 18 at the 6 th Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" of the United Nations Economic Commission for

Europe, which reflects the commitment for improving a healthy environment throughout the

region for present and future generations;

10 Decision No 1982/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006. 11 EUR/ICP/RUD 113 12 EUR/ICP/CEH 212 13 EUR/ICP/EHCO 02 02 05/18Rev.5 14 EUR/04/5046267/6 15 http://www.euro.who.int/IMR2007 16 EUR/04/5046267/7 17 EUR/04/5046267/BD/5.

18 ECE/BELGRADE.CONF/2007/8

  • 15. 
    URGES the Commission and the Member States:
  • - 
    to strengthen the integration of environment and health (E&H) concerns in all relevant strategies, plans and programmes;
  • - 
    to pursue the implementation of the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 by focusing on the necessary priorities and resources in order to reach the goals in due

time;

  • - 
    to recognise the need for early action on E&H problems, and the benefits of pre-emptive measures;
  • - 
    to pursue and increase funding for research programmes, including demonstration and awareness initiatives, which are aimed at providing more effective prevention and

response to hazards/risks, scientifically-sound planning and decision support;

  • - 
    to develop tools for anticipating, preventing and responding to putative threats from identified emerging and re-emerging E&H issues, such as climate change, biological

and chemical safety and security, endocrine disrupters, persistent organic pollutants and

resistance to antibiotics;

  • - 
    to continue to support, and where possible strengthen, research into the environmental, health and safety impacts of certain nanomaterials and nanoproducts to ensure that the

public can benefit from the innovations they may bring while being protected from any

adverse impacts;

  • - 
    to strengthen the involvement of relevant stakeholders through partnerships across sectors at all levels, including intra and intergenerational engagement, with a view to

improving awareness and knowledge and developing innovation and more effective

participation;

  • 16. 
    INVITES the Commission:
  • - 
    to continue developing a comprehensive environment and health information system to identify hazards, set planning priorities, measure progress, and changes in the

environmental quality and health status, in order to facilitate international comparisons

and evaluation of policies;

  • - 
    to promote a European environment and health network, in close cooperation with Member States, to support the development of an environment-related health problems

database to enable better understanding of multi-cause E&H relationships;

  • - 
    to support further development of tools and guidance on assessment, prevention and management of environment and health risks, in close cooperation with Member States;
  • - 
    to develop, in close cooperation with Member States, risk communication tools on environment and health for risks measured, described and perceived;
  • - 
    to put in place as early as possible the coordinated EU pilot project to human biomonitoring, providing data to develop, adapt and evaluate environmental policies;
  • - 
    to increase funding research activity to further strengthen the scientific evidence-base for environment-health relationships, in order to improve evidence-based policy

making;

  • - 
    to further develop and harmonise methodologies for E&H cost-benefit analysis for application in new policies as appropriate, giving special attention to the WHO and

OECD initiatives in this field, in order to improve the efficiency of their

implementation;

  • - 
    to consolidate guidelines on healthy and safe indoor environments, giving special attention to construction products, energy performance of buildings, gas and heating

appliances, chemical substances, eco-design as well as outdoor environmental

conditions;

  • - 
    to gather information on environmental determinants with positive health impacts, such as waters with therapeutic properties, biodiverse environments and housing conditions;
  • - 
    to prepare, in close cooperation with Member States, a framework for E&H reporting, defining the structure and content, including objectives, datasets, indicators and the

reporting process, among other aspects, with the aim to encourage common approaches,

practices and terminology;

  • - 
    to define, in close cooperation with Member States, priorities and resources to be devoted to a second cycle of the EU strategy on E&H, and to proceed with the

commitment at the WHO level, particularly the Fifth Ministerial Conference in 2009;

  • 17. 
    INVITES the Member States:
  • - 
    to put the environment and health costs and benefits of the proposed actions at the centre of decision-making processes;
  • - 
    to encourage the collection of data covering environment and health aspects, for example through volunteer monitoring programmes, promoting civic participation under

technical/scientific guidance;

  • - 
    to actively promote and ensure access to information and public participation in environment and health matters, building awareness-raising and creating an effective

environment and health conscience;

  • - 
    to promote the integration of environment and health literacy into school curricula from an early age, leading to the empowerment of citizens through life-long learning and

contributing to healthy personal choices and the adoption of healthy behaviours;

  • - 
    to increase the training of professionals in relevant fields on environment and health issues;
  • - 
    to share experiences and best practices in order to assist better planning and definition of priorities.

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2.

Originele weergave

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