EESC roept op tot plan voor duurzame productie en consumptie (en)

EESC calls for a sustainable consumption and production policy package tailored to the economic crisis

During its plenary session on 25-26 February 2009, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted three key opinions on sustainable consumption and production (SCP). It welcomed measures introduced by the Commission's SCP Action Plan,including a European Eco-label and the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). If implemented properly, the Action Plan could help to revitalise the economy by enhancing efficiency and business competitiveness, whilst promoting sustainable production and consumption.

The Committee adopted a key opinion prepared by rapporteur José María Espuny Moyano (Group I, Employers, Spain) welcoming the sustainability package presented by the European Commission. The 'Sustainable Consumption and Production and Sustainable Industrial Policy Action Plan' includes a range of new proposals, such as extended energy and environmental labelling, as well as the 'greening' of public procurement practices. However the EESC calls attention to the vulnerability of business and especially SMEs at a time of economic and financial crisis and to the imperative need to implement the Action Plan in a way that will promote not only sustainability, but also economic recovery.

While stressing the overall importance of the measures, the Committee was disappointed by the plan's lack of clarity, in both content and scope of application. In particular, it was concerned that a proposed measure called the "Retail Forum" might compromise the interests of small suppliers to the advantage of large retail business. The EESC therefore called on the Commission to involve all economic and industrial sectors concerned.

The Committee also requested that all sustainability requirements imposed on European stakeholders under the plan should also apply to imported products, to prevent the emergence of a system that is discriminatory and damaging to European producers in their own internal market.

Drawn-up by rapporteur Sylvia Gauci (Group I, Employers, Malta) the EESC opinion on the revision of the eco-labelling scheme for products maintained that the scheme "must remain a voluntary instrument", to allow the standards required for the label to remain high in terms of environmental performance. The Committee approved measures such as harmonising with other eco-labelling schemes and simplifying the criteria and procedures involved, while stressing that foodstuffs should only be granted eco-labels if the whole life-cycle of the product is taken into account.

In a third opinion on the Commission's proposal to revise the EU's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) prepared by rapporteur Antonello Pezzini (Group I, Employers, Italy), the EESC expressed its concern that the legislation remained too complex and failed to achieved the stated goal of raising awareness of EMAS and making it more attractive to private and public organisations. The EESC itself is setting up an environmental management system according to the EMAS regulation, reviewing for example its own use of resources like energy or paper.