Environment: implementation of the Community law, minimal criteria for inspections

The Conciliation Committee reached agreement on the joint text of the recommendation. The main points of the compromise were as follows: - Parliament accepted a recommendation instead of a directive but only in combination with a revision clause. This meant that after two years (i.e. before the end of Parliament's current term of office) the Commission would submit to Parliament and Council a report on the functioning of the recommendation, accompanied, if appropriate, by a proposal for a directive. Both institutions, EP and Council, undertook to consider any proposal for a directive without delay. - In order to increase transparency for the EU public, Parliament insisted on inspection reports being made publicly available within two months of the inspection. - Parliament was particularly concerned about illegal cross-border environmental practices. It therefore pushed through a provision providing for improved coordination of inspections between the Member States. Parliament's delegation acknowledged that the result meant a number of its aims were not fulfilled but claimed it was the best achievable compromise. The delegation also announced that Parliament would in future consider adding a standard clause to any environmental legislation, calling for a proper environmental inspection system to be put in place to monitor its application.�