Traduction de «Fonctionnaire de l'environnement » (Français → Anglais) :

220. Is concerned about the low number of officials in DG Environment dealing with infringement procedures, in particular as environment-related cases represent almost one-half of the infringement cases started in 2002 and over one-third of all complaints related to bad application of EU law, and calls upon the Commission to significantly increase the number of officials in this sector in accordance with its task of being the guardian of the Treaties, thus responsible for the correct implementation of EU environmental legislation;

22. Is concerned at the low number of officials in the Environment DG dealing with infringement procedures; calls on the Commission significantly to increase the number of officials in this sector, in line with the priority given to sustainable development in both its Annual Policy Statement for 2003 and its legislative and work programme and in accordance with its status as guardian of the Treaties, which includes responsibility for the correct implementation of EU environmental regulations and directives;

In the specific case referred to by the Honourable Member, the Commission can confirm that it is in the process of examining whether the official in question will be in a position to comply with the relevant provisions of the Staff Regulations (Articles 16 and 17), in joining the board of directors of British Nuclear Fuels UK as an independent non-executive member after leaving the post of Director-General of DG Environment at the Commission.

This means that, ultimately, the officials of the European Commission will get their way, the same officials who proposed the policy not to present a Sixth Environmental Action Programme under any circumstances.

On 12 December 2001, the Council sat as an Environment Council. It is now discussing a Presidency proposal aimed at setting up a group of senior civil servants to study those aspects of the strategy for sustainable development with a bearing on the environment. In particular, the group will consider those indicators relating to the environment that the Commission ought to use in its annual summary reports on sustainable development.

It was found that the main problem lies in the way the Directive is applied and not, generally speaking, in the transposition of its legal requirements. In order to improve the application of the Directive, the Commission calls on the Member States to take certain measures, in particular to keep records, to make use of existing guidelines, and to introduce training for regional and local authorities. The Commission plans to adopt five initiatives: to improve screening (determining whether a specific project should be subject to an environmental impact assessment) to improve the use of thresholds, and the drafting of practical guidelines ...[+++]and guidelines for the interpretation of the EIA Directive, to improve training for officials responsible for EIA, to take enforcement action in the event of incomplete transposition and/or poor application, and to consider possible amendments to the EIA Directive.