Environmental data: Commission welcomes agreement on new rules to reduce red tape and increase transparency for citizens

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have reached a provisional political agreement on the ambitious new measures to ensure a higher level of transparency in environmental matters and simplify the way in which reports will need to be prepared.

Yesterday's agreement is based on the Proposal by the Commission for a Regulation on the alignment of reporting obligations in the field of environment policy that was adopted in May 2018. The new rules will reduce the administrative burden for administration and simplify procedures for businesses involved in reporting and regulatory monitoring. In addition, policymakers will have access to higher quality information to underpin decisions, and citizens will have better access to information on important issues that affect them.

European Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Karmenu Vella said: “By improving the way we collect and share environmental information, we are empowering citizens to find out quickly about industrial emissions or environmental noise, reducing the burden for businesses to provide information and ensuring that administrations at national and EU level work together more effectively. This outcome is a perfect example of the European Commission's Better Regulation Agenda in practice achieving better results more effectively."

Next Steps

The provisional agreement reached today must now be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council. Following its approval, the new Regulation will be published in the EU's Official Journal and will enter into force after two years.

Background

The Proposal for a Regulation on the alignment of reporting obligations in the field of environment covers ten pieces of legislation:

• Sewage Sludge Directive
• Noise Directive
• Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE) Directive
• Birds Directive
• European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) Regulation
• Animal Testing Directive
• EU Timber Regulation
• Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation
• Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Regulation (EC)
• Environmental Liability Directive

The proposal was based on an extensive Fitness Check evaluation published in June 2017 which looked at the entire environmental legislation and set out an action plan to modernise environmental data management and create benefits for citizens (better access to information and more transparency), businesses (less red tape) and administrations (more efficient preparation and dissemination of information).

More information

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/reporting/fc_overview_en.htm