Cohesion policy and environment

In adopting the report by Mr Konstantinos HATZIDAKIS (EPP, GR) Parliament stated that at every level of the implementation of the Union's cohesion policy greater importance should be attached to the environmental dimension and that all the activities under the structural funds and the cohesion funds must take into consideration the goal of sustainable development. It considered that efforts should be made to further the integration of the cohesion policy with the CAP with a view to achieving the environmental objectives. The actions to be implemented should be those which are the most beneficial, or, at least, the least damaging for the environment. Parliament therefore called for an environmental impact assessment for each project and the creation of a group of environmental inspectors at Community and international level. It also called for an increase in funding and in the number of purely environmental actions. A special Community initiative should therefore be set up under the structural funds. Similarly the Union should respect the requirement to allocate 50% of the funding eligible for each of the actions financed in the transport and environment sectors. For investments in the transport sector, special support should be given to means of transport less harmful to the environment. Lastly, it stressed that the elected local and regional authorities should participate in the planning, implementing and monitoring of programmes funded by the structural funds and the cohesion fund. �