Inter-institutional cooperation for EU environment policy and the 7th Environment Action Programme were the main topics for debate at a meeting of the Commission for Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) on Tuesday. Participating in the debate, Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, made an appeal to CoR members to use their influence and networks to help improve implementation. Giovanni La Via, MEP, Chair of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, called for an EU strategy for sustainable development, which focuses on resource efficiency and the circular economy. He also underlined the need for cooperation in environmental policy so that better solutions can be found for citizens.
Sirpa Hertell, ENVE Vice-Chair, proposed to step up the cooperation between the Committee of the Regions, the European Commission and the European Parliament. More concretely, annual meetings between the ENVI EP Committee and the ENVE CoR Commission could be set up to exchange know-how and share best examples as well as promote cooperation between the EU institutions in environmental matters. In response, Commissioner Vella welcomed the suggestion and stated that the CoR could bring immense amounts of knowledge and energy to the table.
In the debate that followed, Bruno Hranic, EPP ENVE coordinator, expressed concern regarding air pollution, explaining that 30% of EU citizens are exposed to polluted air. He made reference to several CoR opinions, which stress the importance of the "polluter pays principle" and called for action and support at the local level. Taking up the question on what the European Commission will do to solve the mismatch between European air pollutant emissions and immersions policies, Commissioner Vella proposed infringements and penalties as a possible response to those Member States responsible.