Environment Council: Agenda

Rory Stewart Excerpts

Tuesday 15th December 2015 Written Statements

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Rory Stewart)]

I will attend the EU Environment Council in Brussels on 16 December.

Following adoption of the agenda, the list of “A” items will be approved.

There will next be legislative deliberations on the proposal for a directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants (the “National Emissions Ceiling Directive”).

Under non-legislative activities, draft Council conclusions on the mid-term review of the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 are due to be adopted.

Over lunch Ministers will be invited to discuss the latest proposals on air quality and real driving emissions.

The following items are due to be discussed under Any Other Business:

Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH): challenges and options for improving legislation on chemical products;

Sustainable methods of producing and consuming medicine and managing the resulting waste;

19th ordinary meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP19) to the convention for the protection of the marine environment and the coastal region of the Mediterranean and its protocols (Barcelona convention, Athens, 9-12 February 2016);

Reducing pollution caused by consumption on the move: the case for a European deposit scheme;

Package of proposals aiming to promote the circular economy;

Report on the state of the energy union;

21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) and 11th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP11) to the Kyoto protocol (Paris, 30 November to 11 December 2015);

Work programme of the incoming presidency.

[HCWS393]