13 September 1994

Doc. 7139

1403-8/9/94-2-E

CONTRIBUTION

by the Committee on the Environment,

Regional Planning and Local Authorities

to the enlarged debate of the Assembly

on the activities of OECD in 1993

by Mr MOTIU,

Romania

I. Introduction

      The opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities will focus on those OECD activities in 1993 that are clearly concerned with the environment.

II. Brief summary of OECD activities in

the areas of interest to the committee

1.       Energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA)

      The discussions in June 1993, at ministerial level, emphasised the new challenges in the light of the events of the last two decades and took into account the IEA's "World Energy Outlook to 2010."

      The establishment of free and open markets is a fundamental starting point, although security and environmental protection need to be given particular emphasis by governments.

      The globalisation of energy markets and the strong increase in energy consumption in non-member countries has made it necessary to have an exchange of views on long-term energy outlooks, efficiency questions as well technology and environment issues, seen as required investments. Just to mention the difficulties arising from the use of classic and nuclear fuels and to underline the danger of the unsafe Russian nuclear plants operating in central and eastern countries no longer seems to be enough.

      In our opinion the improvements that can be made concerning a more complete use of these fuels have almost come to an end.

      For our environment, all Russian nuclear plants in operation are time bombs. Chernobyl was undeniable proof that neither borders nor human effort can prevent radioactive dust from spreading all over the world. Not only all of us, but life itself is in danger and no money can pay for what a nuclear disaster on such a scale would cause.

      Concerning classic fuels, there are two distinct problems. The advanced countries have exploited them to the utmost as far as safety and their complete use is concerned in industry and housing. The developing countries, especially interested in economic progress, pay less attention to side effects and do not have enough money and technology to ensure a safe use of the classic fuels.

      What actually OECD is supposed to do is to conceive and support a wide research programme concerning new non-conventional energy resources as well as to develop new devices to ensure that today's classical and nuclear power plants function without environmental risks.

      May be we shall find out soon that the efficiency of our fuels is becoming less important than the harm they cause in the "normal functioning conditions" we consider acceptable now.

      We appreciate IEA initiatives to improve the Agency's ability to design effective policies for a more efficient use of energy. We also prize the Agency's concern for energy conservation and for recycling.

      In the end, clean energy resources are supposed to be the IEA's goal. Stopping the use of conventional fuels for energy purposes does not mean leaving them aside, but using them to obtain new products in other useful fields.

      Another important action that is supposed to be parallel to the globalisation of energy markets is the globalisation of the IEA so that a worldwide network of the IEA is able to control and manage world energy resources.

2.       Energy and technology

      Protection of the environment in the technology area continues to be focused on by the Office of Energy Technology and R&D. Progress on new and improved energy technologies, by sharing scarce resources and broadening the prospects of market deployment, has been attained by international collaboration. Participation of the energy industry has been increased in order to facilitate the application of new energy technologies on the market through effective transfer of knowledge, technology innovation and training.

      The Implementing Agreement on Photovoltaic Power Systems has been established with the participation of fifteen countries. Twelve member countries have set up an implementing agreement to exchange information and co-operate on technologies and programmes for electric demand side management.

      The search for clear energy resources is closely related, according to our opinion, to a basically new technology relying less on outer energy sources and more on inner sources, intrinsically developed during new technology deployment.

3.       OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)

      A central issue of economic development, nuclear energy remains a major option for industrialised countries, under acceptable environmental safety conditions.

      In OECD countries, nuclear energy is expected to remain at an almost constant level of about 23% of total electricity demand.

      The major part of NEA co-operation concerning non-member countries was directed toward enhancing nuclear safety research in these countries, strengthening their nuclear regulatory systems and transferring safety knowledge and experience to them.

      An increased participation from several NIS and other non-member countries in IAEA and NEA's Uranium Group was promoted. NEA is also working to identify activities required to maintain nuclear power as a viable option.

      The undeniable efforts of NEA to improve nuclear power use are supposed to intensify. Accidents in nuclear plants as well as handling of nuclear waste could prove more than a severe prejudice to the environment. We cannot risk an irreversible process that will affect mankind for good. Therefore, new studies concerning absolute safety of nuclear units must be continued no matter the cost.

4.       Environmental policy

      Environmental development continues to be guided by the "OECD Environmental Strategy for the 1990s", resting on three main "pillars":

      —in       tegrating environment and economic decision-making;—

      —im       proving environmental performance (including the reduction of the pollution burden);—

      —ex       panding international co-operation, both among OECD members and through increased "outreach" to other nations — notably the countries of central and eastern Europe, the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union and the dynamic economies in Asia and Latin America.In

      Inter-committee and inter-directorate co-operation, particularly on issues at the interface between economic policy and environmental policy, is the responsibility of the Environment Policy Committee (EPOC), supported by the organisation's Environmental Directorate.

      OECD's other major trends in environmental work were extended. One can notice the shift from classical air, water and land pollution to environmental policies in key economic sectors: to search for least-cost solutions to environmental policy, an emphasis on monitoring of compliance and evaluation of performance, strengthened partnerships with international and non-governmental institutions and engagement of non-member countries.

      What we want to point out is that all these well intended policies are nothing else but adjustment procedures. Even if globalised, they will not solve the main problem we are confronted with: survival. Our first task is to consider survival our most immediate and most important aim.

      Pollution prevention and control is a way of reducing the overall pollution burden. Unfortunately, we cannot stop here. This could be an early stage of what a strict overall environmental policy is supposed to be.

      Economies in transition are confronted with exactly the same problems today's developed countries were confronted with in the fifties. Taking into account the experience of the latter ones, high tech and sufficient means must be forwarded to prevent an ecological disaster and maybe worse.

      It is very important to realise that all transition countries as well as the underdeveloped ones have decided to meet the challenge of a fast economic growth that cannot be achieved without harming the environment, unless the developed countries and the international organisations are ready to take their responsibilities in this huge process.

III. Amendments to the draft resolution in reply

to the 1993 OECD activities report

      The Committee proposes that the following text be included in the draft resolution by the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development :

      The enlarged Assembly is concerned about the state of the global environment and in particular the dominant role of energy policies in this respect.

      Although the new awareness of these problems and in particular the OECD's efforts to seek collective solutions to major problems associated with the survival of the planet are most gratifying, there is an urgent need for practical steps in priority areas such as energy and transport policy.

      Furthermore, it is vital to press ahead with work on environmental policies with a view to ensuring that other policies take more account of environmental concerns and assessing environmental achievements, which make it possible to verify the impact of decisions and the follow-up given to undertakings.

      In this context, the enlarged Assembly welcomes the recent decision taken by the OECD to join in a same sector the activities on rural development, urban affairs, regional affairs and local economic development.

      This structural change will certainly contribute to the economic, regional and environmental policy integration.

      Given the urgent nature of certain environmental problems, the undeniable efforts made at different levels, including the OECD, regrettably constitute only limited measures when the very survival of the planet is at stake.

      Consequently, the enlarged Assembly invites the Governments of OECD member States and the OECD itself :

i.       to introduce energy policies centred on the improvement of energy efficiency, the development of renewable sources of energy and safety;

ii.       to step up international co-operation in order to make more rapid headway with        sophisticated efficient energy technologies;

iii.       to continue appraisal of environmental impact in order to identify the least expensive and most effective solutions;

iv.       to introduce practical and rapid measures which represent a real solution to the        key issue of the deterioration of our environment;

v.       to boost co-operation with countries in a period of transition to enable them to meet the challenge of rapid economic growth without harming the environment.

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      Reporting committee: Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (Doc. 7123).

      This contribution was approved by the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development on 5 September 1994.

      Secretaries to the committee: Mrs Cagnolati-Staveris and Mr Sixto.