(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
As early as 1990, the EU's own environmental experts determined that the EU was building an economic system incompatible with ecologically sustainable development. Then came an environmental report that was referred to as Task Forcereport, which established that the single market could lead
- that road transport across borders increased by 30 to 50 percent
- that health and environmentally hazardous products could be sold more uncontrolled
- that risk waste and nuclear waste could be transported more uncontrolled
- that there could be negative environmental impacts in both pressurized and peripheral areas.
As unsolved as in 1990
The annual reports from the European Environment Agency in Copenhagen (European Environmental Agency) closely follow the environmental development and show that the ecological challenges are as unsolved as in 1990.
The 1999 Report, Europe's environment at the turn of the century, stated that in 15 main areas there was a “positive development” in one area, in limiting emissions of ozone to the atmosphere. In nine areas there was "a certain but insufficient positive development" and in five areas a "negative development".
- Growth outweighs the improvements
The report was equally clear as to the causes: Behind the environmental problems were "first and foremost the rapid growth in the national economy", the growth in road and air transport, increased urbanization and "the deterioration of the rural environment".
The environmental agency expects growth up to 2010 of 45 percent. This growth "is likely to offset the environmental improvements that have been achieved and make it more difficult to achieve sustainable development" – was the conclusion in 1999.
Next Annual Report, Environmental signals 2000 emphasized that the trend was in the wrong direction when it came to transport and energy use. In both of these areas, price developments made it more difficult to reach the environmental targets. For example, always cheaper to use a private car compared to traveling by bus or train.
Restructuring of production and consumption
Environmental signals 2001 stated that a restructuring of both production and consumption was necessary to meet the toughest environmental challenges. At the same time, such a change is far-fetched – and has long-term prospects. Despite more environmentally friendly technology, economic growth is increasing the pressure on the environment. At the same time, the consumption pattern is developing in the wrong direction in terms of environmental policy.
The Environment Agency pointed out the transport sector as the most difficult problem. The pollutants from cars, ships and aircraft contribute to climate change, to the environmental impact in the big cities and to cross-border air pollution.
Failed environmental action plan
EU's fifth action plan for environment should until the year 2000 tackle most of the environmental challenges in turn. The European Commission's own final assessment of the action plan states that "progress towards sustainable development has clearly been limited and the fifth environmental program has not achieved its objectives". The plan has not achieved its goals because "other sectors and member states are only partially committed to the action plan".
The next action plan covers the period 2001-2010 and will, among other things, lay the foundation for the EU to reduce climate emissions by 2020-20 per cent by 40. This will happen through "structural changes, especially in the transport and energy sector". They do not come by themselves.
Good single results
This year's report, Europe's environment from May 2003, points out that there are good individual results where concrete measures have been put in place, but "environmental effects that can be traced back to economic development and general production and consumption patterns are often not taken into account."
It is positive that
- emissions of ozone-depleting substances have decreased
- emissions to air and water from factories and other point sources have decreased
- There have been more conservation areas for biologically important animals and plants
It is negative that
- the amount of waste and the amount of hazardous waste increases
- the pressure on fish stocks, food and land is still increasing,
- farmer emissions are so great,
- road and air transport increases with increased emissions of greenhouse gases and particulate matter
50 tons per inhabitant
Pollution from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides has fallen sharply. Gliding dust and high concentrations of so-called ground-level ozone now create the greatest environmental hazards in urban areas.
The EU still uses 50 tonnes of material for each citizen and imports more and more raw materials. This means that the environmental impact of extracting them has moved to other parts of the world.
Fully drive on the roads
The volume of transport increased sharply in the 1990s and turned away from trains and over to cars and planes. Air traffic is expected to double by 2020. Each vehicle is polluting less, but overall pollution is increasing because the amount of transport is increasing so rapidly. Despite the increase in car transport fees, road transport is still relatively cheaper than it was twenty or thirty years ago.
Increasing tourism contributes to increased traffic – and in many places "to a serious deterioration of the local environment". Holiday travel is getting cheaper, people travel more often, are shorter distances and travel further afield. The share of income spent on vacations is increasing. It is "slow" to implement a more sustainable tourism industry.
Agriculture and industry
The development of an increasingly intensive and specialized agriculture has led to erosion, water shortages and losses in biodiversity. The EU's agricultural policy "has been one of the most important driving forces behind the intensification and specialization of agriculture". The total forest areas are increasing, but the condition of the forests "is deteriorating as a result of acidification and reduced soil quality". More than 20 percent of the trees are classified as damaged.
The industry is polluting less than before, but continued improvement is not obvious. Most polluting industries are growing more strongly than the rest of the industry, and the least costly technical improvements have already been implemented.
More and more chemistry
At the same time, the industry surrounds us with thousands of new chemicals in the air, water, soil, food, clothing and cosmetics. The long-term effects of each substance are unknown. It can also be the short-term effect when new chemical compounds are mixed in our bodies.
The environmental report places particular emphasis on the fact that there is no satisfactory overview of carcinogens and endocrine disruptors. "Lack of documentation of harmful effects is not the same as documentation that such harmful effects do not exist."
Increasing greenhouse gas emissions
The Kyoto agreement commits the EU to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent by 2008-2012. In 1999, the EU was able to meet this obligation, but then emissions increased for two years in a row. Ten of the EU countries are in danger of breaking their commitments. "Existing guidelines and measures at national level and in the EU indicate that EU emissions will only have decreased by 4,7 per cent in 2010."
Moreover, as stated in the official Norwegian translation: “The Kyoto Protocol is only the first step towards the global emission reduction of 60-70 percent in the industrialized countries that is necessary to reach“ sustainable ”greenhouse gas concentrations and climate conditions, in line with the proposed The EU goal of limiting the temperature increase to a maximum of 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels. "
