Report on the implementation of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan in 2004

Description

The Environmental Technologies Action Plan1 (ETAP) was endorsed at the European Spring Council on 25-26 March 2004. Positive reactions to ETAP were subsequently received from a wide variety of stakeholders including business organisations, financial actors, the research community, non-governmental organisations. The conclusions adopted by the Environment Council on 14 October 2004 call for rapid implementation of ETAP to give eco-efficient innovations a fair and competitive market perspective and to provide for the internalisation of external costs through an effective mix of instruments. These include performance-based green public procurement, fiscal incentives, reform of subsidies that have considerable negative effects on the environment and are inconsistent with sustainable development, and risk-sharing facilities, especially for SMEs. The report by the High Level Group chaired by Wim Kok on the Lisbon strategy ‘Facing the Challenge’ provides additional momentum for the implementation of ETAP and calls for Member States to establish roadmaps for specific measures and deadlines. The Commission, with the support of the Member States and the European Investment Bank, has made good progress in implementing the Action Plan. The present report summarizes the main achievements, outlines some actions by Member States on which the implementation of ETAP can build and highlights areas where efforts could be stepped up to make faster progress towards tapping the full potential of environmental technologies.