Environment: 6th Community action programme 2001-2010

PURPOSE : to establish a programme of Community action on the environment. COMMUNUNITY MEASURE : Decision 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the council laying down the Sixth Community Environment action Programme CONTENT : the Programme constitutes a framework for the Community's environmental policy. It aims to achieve a decoupling of environmental pressures and economic growth. It will be based particularly on the polluter-pays principle, the precautionary principle and preventive action, and the principle of rectification of pollution at source. The programme aims at: -emphasising climate change as an outstanding challenge of the next ten years and beyond and contributing to the long-term objective of stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthrpogenic interference with the climate system. A long-term objective of a maximum global temperature increase of 2°C over pre-industrial levels and a CO2 concentration below 550 ppm will guide the Programme. In the longer term this is likely to require a global reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases by 70% as compared with 1990. -protecting natural systems and habitats with the aim of halting desertification and the loss of biodiversity, both in the EU and on a global scale. -contributing to health and quality of life by providing an environment where the level of pollution does not give rise to harmful effects on human health and the environment and by encouraging sustainable urban development. -better resource efficiency and waste management to bring about more sustainable production and consumption patterns, thereby decoupling their use of resources and the generation of waste from the rate of economic growth. The Decision sets out strategic approaches to meeting these objectives. These include the development of new Community legislation and the more effective implementation of existing rules. The Decision also sets out the priority areas for action on dealing with each of the four objectives. The Programme will cover a period of ten years starting from 22 July 2002.�