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A report on the application of the EU directive on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has found serious gaps in both the way it has been implemented in national law and in its use in individual projects. The directive, first passed in 1985, seeks to ensure that all major development projects are vetted as to their likely effect on the local environment.
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It provides for interested parties to make representations before a project is authorised and their concerns must be taken into account in measures lessening any harmful consequences of development. The report found that firstly, an amendment to the directive had not been put into law by all the Member States despite the deadline having passed four years ago, secondly, 30% of infringements identified concerned gaps in the national laws implementing the original measure and thirdly, 65% of infringements related to individual projects where the law had been applied badly. The kinds of mistakes that have been made by national governments included giving approval for development before the EIA had been made and inconsistent criteria for choosing which so-called 'annexe II' projects (urban development, |
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tourism etc.) are to be covered. This has led to a project being assessed in one country when it would not be in another. Other common errors have been lack of consideration of the likely long term effect of projects and lack of consultation between Member States when a project crosses national boundaries. The European Commission is keen to plug the gaps in the directive and has registered infringement procedures against all EU countries except Denmark. It also intends to continuously monitor implementation and draw up guidelines in consultation with governments, environmental groups and local authorities. While no specific new amendment is to be put forward, it is hoped that other forthcoming legislation such as the Strategic Environmental Assessment directive will also be helpful. |
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EU environment commissioner Margot Wallström |
AS European trade unions demanded action from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the EU authorities to reflate the economy at their congress in Prague, EU employment commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou and UNICE president George Jacobs both urged them to play their part. Delegates at the ETUC congress from all over Europe were concerned at possible future deflation due to the failure of the ECB to sufficiently lower interest rates and the seeming inability of the EU economy to restart itself without assistance from the U.S.A. and Japan. New general secretary John Monks called on the European Council 'to strengthen demand by at least one per cent of GDP, centring in particular on investment in education and training, R&D, environmental technologies, and trans-European infrastructures'. He also recommended that the stability and growth pact, which limits the deficits that euro-zone states can run up, should be interpreted sensibly so that national governments can boost their own economies.
Guest speakers at the congress spoke of the positive rôle that trade unions had played in the past and urged them to change so that they could continue to do so in the future. For employers' chief Jacobs this meant advocacy of labour market reform and the encouragement of entrepreneurship. 'Trade unions must face their responsibilities and take a positive attitude to change', he said, while praising their contribution to the social dialogue that had started in the mid-eighties. Commissioner Diamantopoulou also commended the trade union struggle 'for political representation and voting rights, for rights at the workplace...for the establishment of the modern welfare state'. Today they needed to embrace migrant and minority workers, fight for those hurt by company scandals such as Enron and to get up to speed with new developments like the worldwide web. The new interest in corporate social responsibility is another issue that could be turned to trade union advantage, she felt. A 'strong, speedy, and effective a response as possible' was needed to strengthen the identity of European trade unions.
WHILE AUSTRIA'S GENERAL STRIKE hits the news (see page 3) the country's trade unions have heeded the government's wish for them to negotiate a minimum wage. The HGPD union has agreed a €1,000 monthly minimum rate for seasonal staff in the hospitality sector. This represents a rise of about 3%.
THE PHILIPS COMPANY in France has made a deal with four separate unions on collective redundancy procedures. Again, this follows a government desire for negotiations to replace legislation on this subject. The agreement sets out a full information and consultation procedure in three stages including the election of a committee to oversee the process and the use of accountants by the union side as well as an advisory service for the redeployment of workers.
DHL, WHICH IS OWNED by the Deutsche Post group, has agreed a two-stage pay increase with the Ver.di trade union: 2% from 1st. May and another 1.5% in April next year.
A SURVEY IN ITALY undertaken by the CGIL confederation has found large increases in so-called 'semi-independent' workers. Their numbers have gone up from 500,000 in 1996 to 2.4 million representing 11% of the total work force. This group earns an average €12,396 annually and CGIL is worried about the low final pension that such a wage will attract.
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