Reply to Recommendation 1284 (1996) on European environment policy (1994-1995)

Communication from the Committee of Ministers

Doc. 7843

5 June 1997

Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 2 June 1997 at the 594th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies

The Committee of Ministers took note with interest of Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1284 (1996) on European environment policy and examined it carefully. It noted that this text also deals with matters already covered by Recommendation 1280 (1995) on the Second Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe. The following information reflects the latest developments in intergovernmental co-operation on environmental issues and could therefore be considered as replying to both Recommendation 1284 and, in part, Recommendation 1280.

Following the adoption of the Pan-European Strategy on Biological and Landscape Diversity, to which the Council of Europe actively contributed, the "environment" sector was adapted to take account of new developments.

As the Strategy is implemented Europe-wide, with the participation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Council of Europe, the latter has set up new bodies in place of the former CDPE and its Bureau: the Committee for the Activities of the Council of Europe in the Field of Biological and Landscape Diversity (CO-DBP) and its Bureau (BU-DBP). These two bodies comprise representatives of the member States of the Council of Europe which are also represented in the pan-European bodies responsible for implementing the Strategy (namely, the STRA-CO and STRA-BU), which include 54 states and a relatively large number of international governmental and non-governmental organisations.

In the Organisation's 1997 budget, the resources allocated to the implementation of the parts of the strategy which are the responsibility of the Council of Europe and to related activities amount to 3 950 000 FF, not counting staff. The Bern Convention receives an appropriation of 800 000 FF, plus some 600 000 FF in the form of voluntary contributions from member States and the European Community, which are earmarked for activities not financed by Council of Europe appropriations. Both the overall appropriation and that specifically earmarked for the Bern Convention were slightly increased in 1997 in comparison to 1996.

The Council of Europe Intergovernmental Programme of Activities still has a substantial "training" section _ devoted in 1997 to the managers of protected areas _ and an "information" section _ managed through the Centre Naturopa.

At the request of the Committee of Ministers, the Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ) intends to establish the contacts needed with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe to prepare a Convention on information access and public participation in decision-making processes concerning the environment, which complements the instruments already adopted by the Council of Europe.

The CDCJ drew attention to the fact that a certain number of existing international instruments prepared at the Council of Europe or elsewhere dealt with the two topics in question (access to information and public involvement in decision-making).