Environment

The ed's environment policy was officially launched in 1972 and incorporated into the EEC Treaty by the Single European Act (SEA) (1986). The ED has developed a substantial body of environmental law to protect against water, air, and noise pollution and to control risks related to chemicals, biotechnology, and nuclear energy within the Union. These are supplemented by multiannual action programs, the most recent of which—the Sixth Environmental Action Program (2001-2010)—concentrates on four priority areas: climate change, nature and biodiversity, environment and health, and natural resources and waste.

A European Environment Agency (EEA) was set up in 1993 in Copenhagen to provide reliable scientific data and evaluations for those involved in implementing and developing European environment policy. The Agency is open to participation from other European countries.

The EU is an important actor in international initiatives on the environment. It is party to the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depletion, the Basel Convention on Toxic Waste, and most recently the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. The EU wants to see the Kyoto Protocol enter into force and is working hard to reach the agreed upon Kyoto targets. The EU-US June 2001 summit issued a statement reflecting divergent EU-US views: "We disagree on the Kyoto Protocol and its ratification, but we are determined to work together in all relevant fora to address climate change...." Climate change negotiators meeting in Bonn in late July 2001 agreed on implementation rules for the Kyoto Protocol and funding for developing countries. In Marrakech in November 2001, the Seventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Climate Change ended with an agreement on operational rules to fight climate change.

Sustainable development, a fundamental objective under the EU treaties, dictates that the economic, social, and environmental effects of all policies should be examined in a coordinated way and considered in decision-making. It means meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising those of future generations. According to the June 2001 Goteborg summit, "Getting prices right so that they better reflect the true costs to society of different activities would provide a better incentive for consumers and producers in everyday decisions about which goods and services to make or buy."

Foreign Aid

The European Union, many of whose member states are former colonial powers, has been active in development cooperation since the beginning. The Cotonou Convention (formerly the Lome Conventions) with seventy-seven former African, Caribbean, and Pacific colonies is a prime example of the EU's generous aid and trade relationships with developing countries. The goals of EU development policy were formally set out in the Maastricht Treaty. They are:

fostering sustainable economic and social development in developing countries; promoting

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their smooth and gradual integration into the world economy; fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS;

and helping to consolidate democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

Today, the EU has cooperative agreements with most developing countries (see Chapter Seven) and is a leading donor of emergency and humanitarian aid (through the Humanitarian Aid Office, ECHO).

Foreign Policy

The Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was established by the Maastricht Treaty in 1993. For a fuller description, see Chapter Seven.

Human Rights

The Treaty on European Union (Article 6) explicitly affirms the EU's commitment to respect the rule of law and fundamental and human rights as guaranteed by the 1950 European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (Council of Europe).

Death Penalty. All fifteen member states have banned the death penalty—all adhere to the European Convention for the Protection of Human and Fundamental Rights, which, according to Protocol 6, Article 1, abolishes the death penalty. Twelve of the thirteen applicant countries (not including Turkey) have ratified this Protocol and prohibit the death penalty. The European Union is opposed to the death penalty in all cases and has consistently called for its abolition in countries that condone capital punishment.

External Actions. Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms is a general objective of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Many of the EU's external agreements include a section on "political dialogue" dealing with the rule of law, democratization, and human rights. The EU publicly condemns human rights violations wherever they occur, appealing to the countries concerned to end such violations and pressuring the authorities in question.

Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The Charters a basis for continued integration in Europe. It raises the status of rights in the areas of human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity, citizenship, and justice to the level of fundamental rights for all citizens. Presently, the Charter is not legally binding, with its legal status to be determined by the 2004 Intergovernmental Conference. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission, has announced that he would like to see the Charter incorporated into the EU's treaties to make it legally binding "as soon as possible." The European Parliament has passed resolutions that support the incorporation of the Charter into the treaties.