The Portuguese Presidency’s environmental agenda emerges out of the Team Presidency agenda of the German-Portuguese-Slovenian 18-month Presidencies. In that context, Portugal has chosen three main political priorities under its term:

- Climate Change
- Water Scarcity and Drought
- Business and Biodiversity
- Other Issues
- Spatial  Planning and Regional Development

Climate Change

As one of the great environmental challenges of our century, this has been one of the target discussions at the European Spring Council.

The EU’s heads of state and government approved under the German Presidency an integrated approach to Climate and Energy policy in order to achieve an objective of GHG emissions reduction and energy security. This was an historical decision, which has already been compared to achievements such as the internal market and Maastricht treaties decisions.

Portugal will follow on this package in terms of starting its development and implementation in such areas as renewable energies, biofuels and aviation in the EU emissions trading scheme.

On the international dimension on climate policy, we have an extremely busy schedule for this dossier during our PRES, especially because of the Bali UN Conference in December. We are fully aware of the political importance for the EU to continue leading the international discussions of a balanced and fair post-2012 regime and, as the Spring European council called for, we will aim at starting negotiations on the future in Bali.

Water Scarcity and Drought

This theme is a priority because Europe is still suffering the consequences of water shortage – and in some countries the severe drought – of 2005. Water scarcity and drought is furthermore a problem that will increasingly be faced at EU level, particularly in a context of climate change in which extreme phenomena are more frequent and devastating. In this regard, Portugal will strive to give an European dimension to this problem in terms of identifying the need for sharing experiences and developing a common approach.

Water scarcity and drought will be the theme of the Informal Environment Council of the Portuguese Presidency, which will take place in Lisbon on 1 September.

Portugal considers of extreme importance that the European Union develops an adequate answer to this problem as we consider that the current policy instruments on water management fail to contemplate a specific analysis of this problem and its consequences.

The European Commission will present a Communication on this issue in July, which will be a key contribution to the Informal ministerial in September.

Business and Biodiversity

The third main priority of the Portuguese Presidency pertains to incorporating biodiversity onto business decisions. This issue began to be discussed informally at the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Portugal will take this issue up at EU level aiming to involve corporations on the protection of biodiversity. This will allow the market place to conciliate the needs for short-term consumption with long-term sustainability, so the crucial question here is to create consumer-demand incorporating the intrinsic and extrinsic biodiversity value as a product or a service to offer.

The initiative’s background is based on the EC Biodiversity Communication of May 2006 and the Environment Council conclusions of December 2006. It aims at producing a non-binding list of best practices for business identifying positive actions for Biodiversity and Nature. This may take the form of a Charter, or a Code of Conduct for Business.

The initiative’s kick-off took place on 9 November 2006 in Brussels; its development continued through the German Presidency and will continue through an international high level Conference, which will take place in Lisbon next November.

Other Issues

The Portuguese environment EU Presidency has furthermore a heavy loaded agenda in terms of regulatory pipeline. Indeed, since the start of the Commission’s release of the several thematic strategies foreseen under the 6th Environmental Action Plan, the Environment Council has been busy preparing the relevant legislation.

The Presidency will work closely with both Parliament and the member states so as to make headway on a number of dossiers. Emphasis will be put on attempting to conclude 2nd reading agreement on the air quality and marine environment directives. The Portuguese Presidency will also do its best to reach political agreement on the aviation, fuel quality and soil directives.

The Portuguese Presidency will also focus on the Environment Council’s contribution to the EU Sustainable Development Strategy process on the basis of a progress report prepared by the Commission.

On the international front, aside from climate change, the Presidency will chair the EU delegations to the 20th anniversary Montreal Protocol Meeting of Parties, in Montreal in September, and the important Environment for Europe Ministerial Conference, in Belgrade in October. The continuation of the preparation of the Biodiversity 2008 Conference of Parties, and the beginning of the preparations for the 2008 UNEP Governing Council and UN Commission on Sustainable Development will also be taken up during the second half of 2007.

Spatial Planning and Regional Development

Regarding spatial planning, Portugal will continue the process launched in Rotterdam in 2004, which lead to the adoption of the Territorial Agenda of the EU during the German Presidency, which main purposes are to strengthen territorial cohesion and the global competitiveness and sustainability of European territories in the light of the Lisbon and Gothemburg Strategies and give a territorial dimension to EU policies and initiatives with a territorial impact.

It is Portugal’s responsibility to prepare an Action Plan for the implementation of the Territorial Agenda. This document will have both a political and a technical line of action and it will be prepared under the coordination of Portugal by a cooperative process between the Member States and the European Commission.

The Action Plan will be presented at the Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for Spatial Planning and Regional Development, in the Azores in November. This Meeting will represent an opportunity for EU Ministers to focus on the implementation of the Territorial Agenda. The meeting will also address regional development namely its contribution to the achievement of the Lisbon and EU Sustainable Development Strategies. In this domain Portugal will also promote the launch of the debate on the future of the cohesion policy, based on the presentation of the Commission’s 4th Cohesion Report.

Portugal will also carry on the decisions of the Ministers meeting in Leipzig on urban development, namely regarding the coordination of European networks to exchange experience, learning and skills and generate new knowledge and the starting of the implementation of the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities.