Environment Law Bulletin - Institute of Environmental Management ...

a lack of awareness and skills are all highlightedas important issues. It is proposedto deal with these barriers by using technicalmeasures such as targeting particularresearch technologies, using regulatorymeasures to remove legislative hurdles, byincluding the costs of environmental impactinto markets and by supporting promisingpilot-scale technologies. All comments mustreach the Commission by 15 May 2003.(COM (2003) 131, 25 March 2003)EMASThe total number of EMAS registration fell by3.4% in 2002, leaving 3,780 registered organisationsand companies in January 2003. Incontrast, the number of ISO 14001 certifiedorganisations increased by 42% in the EU overthe same period to 20,400. The ISO 14001 isseen as the weaker of the two standards interms of requirements. Being an internationalstandard, it incorporates the interest of manydifferent countries. It also offers a greater flexibilityand clarity to companies wishing toimplement it. There are also criticism over thecosts of implementing and maintaining anEMAS registration. Germany and Austriawhich are the traditionally strongholds ofEMAS experienced particularly rapid falls in thenumber of organisations registered.(European Commission, March 2003)“There are also criticism over the costs of implementingand maintaining an EMAS registration.”Organic farmingThe European Commission has consultedon a working document for the developmentof organic farming in the EU. Itfollows the initiative of the EuropeanCouncil of Agricultural Ministers invitationto stakeholders to share ideas on furtheraction for boosting organic products inEurope. The Commission is interested inreceiving views, in order to bring forward apossible future action plan. Some of theissues being consulted upon are based onexisting legislation whilst others wouldneed the creation of new instruments. Theconsultation was closed on 16 March 2003.(SEC (2002) 1368, 12 December 2002)WTOThe WTO is to allow UN EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) and Multi-lateralEnvironmental Agreements (MEAs) ad hocattendance at its meetings on the environment.This decision is seen as a first step inresponding to issues raised at theJohannesburg Summit on sustainable development.The EU has said that it is pushingfor permanent observer status for UNEPand the various MEAs at future meetings.(European Commission Press Release, 20 February 2003)InternationalSustainable development reportingThe World Business Council for SustainableDevelopment (WBCSD) has developed aweb based portal to help companies reporton their sustainable development activities.The portal provides examples of reportingpractices from 43 companies in 14 businesssectors in addition to a guide which can beused as a checklist against a company’s ownpractices. The portal is not intended toprescribe rigid practices but rather togenerate ideas on what information toinclude in a sustainable development report.(WBCSD, January 2003)TourismA study published in the journal EcologicalEconomics has attacked the tourism industryclaiming that it is an unsustainable contributorto land use change and pollution,which is leading to the destruction of habitatsand species, and climate change.Furthermore, the report argues that theindustry could be on the road to selfdestruction through environmental degradation.It says that the main problem is airtravel which in total is responsible for around10% of global carbon dioxide emissions.(Financial Times, 23 January 2003)Environment Law BulletinApril 200344