Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2012-05-23-Speech-3-413-000"
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"en.20120523.21.3-413-000"2
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"Mr President, first of all, I would like to congratulate Mr Gerbrandy on this report, which recognises the high level of ambition needed to achieve the transformation to a resource-efficient Europe. It reaffirms the political importance of the resource efficiency agenda and the urgency of the need to take action in order to respond to the economic and environmental challenges we face.
Naturally, we also need the full implementation of European Union environmental legislation, coupled with actions at international level to ensure a level global playing field. As always, the commitment of all stakeholders is fundamental to the success of any programme. We need to mobilise actors at all levels, and in all relevant sectors, to do their part. I count, of course, on your support for this. I will be following today’s debate with very keen interest.
Resource constraints are a real global trend that we must certainly address. The economic crisis has demonstrated the need for urgent changes in the economy and the need to consider our growth model. Without new policies, we will put even more pressure on the environment, we will not deliver on our climate change targets, and we will expose our economy and well-being to systemic risks.
Sustainable resource use is the condition for the long-term resilience and competitiveness of our economies. Resource efficiency is also a promising source of growth and jobs, which offers multiple benefits and opportunities for business and policy making in the short, medium and also long term.
The Commission has laid out its vision for the path to sustainable growth and competitiveness in the long-term strategies under the Europe 2020 resource efficiency flagship initiative, ranging from energy to transport to climate, water and biodiversity. We have integrated resource efficiency into our proposals for cohesion, for research, for development, and for agricultural and fisheries policies. I hope that the outcomes of the legislative process will match the ambition you show today so that we can address the scale of the resource challenges we really face.
With the road map to a resource efficient Europe, we have put on the table a coherent framework to achieve the 2050 vision of sustainability. The Commission has proposed a set of 2020 milestones and concrete actions to start the process of transformation. Resource efficiency policies are approached from three angles, and I am glad to see from your report that you share this view of the priorities.
First of all, we highlight the need to provide the horizontal conditions for transformation of the economy. We address consumption and production, emphasise the importance of measures such as ecodesign, and highlight the importance of research and innovation, and the crucial need to phase out inefficient subsidies and shift to environmental taxation. Turning waste into a valuable resource is key to boosting the resource productivity of the EU economy and also enhancing growth. Full implementation of EU waste legislation alone would save EUR 72 billion a year, increase the annual turnover of the EU waste management and recycling sector by EUR 42 billion, and create over 400 000 jobs by 2020.
Secondly, the nature target. We should try to ensure that our natural capital and the ecosystem services this provides are used efficiently in the short and long term, as they are the foundation of our economy and our quality of life. This reflects the broad definition of resources that the Commission seeks to promote.
Thirdly, we target the economic sectors that are responsible for the greatest share of environmental impacts – namely food, buildings and mobility. I am glad to see that you also put these as a first priority in your report.
Governance is the key element of the strategy because resource efficiency is an integration agenda and EU Member States have a key role to play in bringing about the necessary changes. Integration of resource efficiency into the European Semester will ensure that Member States are moving along a sustainable path. We will also launch a process to define the appropriate targets with solid, effective and science-based indicators with a view to agreeing on a lead indicator, a dashboard and thematic indicators by 2013."@en1
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