It shows lots of areas of European Commission 2010 work, which may impact on the golf industry:

Review of the list of priority substances under the Water Framework Directive
The Water Framework Directive requires the Commission to review the list of priority substances every 4 years and the deadline for the next proposal is January 2011. Priority substances are those posing a risk to or via the aquatic environment at EU level. They are part of the basis of the EU strategy to combat chemical pollution in EU water

Communication on a new post-2010 EU biodiversity policy and strategy
As reported in previous Golf Europa posts.

EU Plant Health Strategy
The European Commission is developing a new Community plant health strategy, covering topics such as invasive species and seeds.

Relaunch of the Single Market
This Communication will provide a diagnosis of the ‘missing links’ and set direction for a relaunch of the Single Market to deliver on its full potential.

New policy for GMO cultivation
Following the presentation of the political guidelines, the Commission will come forward by the end of June with a concrete initiative on how to allow freedom for Member States to decide about cultivation of GMOs on their territories

Communication on the sustainable competitiveness of the EU construction sector
The Communication will focus on four strategic objectives aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of the sector: (a) a coherent quality policy for the sector; (b) an improved regulatory environment, in particular for public procurement, competition, registration and qualification systems, health & safety and payment delays; (c) better provision of education and training ; (d) strengthening of research, innovation and knowledge deployment. This Communication will also focus on the role of this sector in the fight against climate change.

Revision of the Working Time
New proposed Directive expected.

Communication on the renewed EU Tourism Policy Framework
The Communication will outline possible fields of actions at EU, national and regional level, as well as by the industry and other stakeholders.

Revision of the 1990 Council Directive on Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours
The existing Directive no longer provides adequate protection for consumers going on holidays; nor does it provide sufficient legal certainty for businesses. Due to the minimum harmonisation of the Directive, the legal fragmentation in Member States is significant, causing compliance costs for businesses eager to trade cross-border and can also cause detriment for consumers trying to pursue their legal rights in a cross-border context.

Green Paper on a new VAT strategy
Consultation document on a new VAT Strategy with a view to adopt a “new VAT
strategy” Communication in 2011.

Community initiative on work-related musculoskeletal disorders
The objective is to integrate into a single legislative instrument the provisions on the protection of the health and safety of workers from the risks of musculo-skeletal disorders at work.

Directive 2000/14/EC on noise emissions in the environment by equipment used outdoors
The proposal will simplify the operation of the Directive, review its conformity assessment procedures, and improve market surveillance.

Sport provisions in the Lisbon Treaty
This communication will make proposals for the implementation of the new competence on sport in the Lisbon treaty, including establishing a framework for political cooperation.

A large number of EU Communications and Recommendations are also expected in the vocational education and training field.

Some observers suggest that one of the “blocking minority”, France, may be considering lifting its objections. If it does, this will open the way for the new EU Soil Directive to be adopted.  The new European Commissioner for environment policy, Janez Potočnik, is seeking to make progress on this proposal.

Last Friday, the European Commission published a new report on ‘Soil biodiversity: functions, threats and tools for policy makers‘.

Having failed with their 2010 target, the 27 governments agreed to try to do more to halt biodiversity loss.

Ministers chose the toughest of four options presented by the European Commission in a January policy paper: “halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss.”

The Council conclusions also outline the EU vision for protecting species in the EU by 2050.

The European Commission now has to draw up a new 2020 biodiversity strategy.

It remains to be seen whether this new 2020 biodiversity target will be any more successful than its 2010 predecessor.  A good indicator will be the extent to which the EU’s draft 2020 growth strategy takes account of the new EU biodiversity 2020 target. The EU’s 2020 growth strategy is due to be agreed shortly by EU Heads of State & Government.

The likely impact of this new initiative on the golf industry will become clearer as details emerge of the European Commission’s new 2020 biodiversity strategy and of new mainstream, cross-cutting EU policies and strategies, such as the 2020 growth strategy.

Link – to the text of the Environment Council “Conclusions on biodiversity post-2010”

• Directive on sustainable use of pesticides
• Regulation on placing of plant protection products on the market (repealing Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC)
• Directive on improving construction and maintenance of machinery for pesticide application

A key issue of concern for the golf industry has been the reference to “sports and recreation grounds” in earlier versions of the proposed Directive on sustainable use of pesticides.  In the final text, agreed by Ministers last week, there are two references:

(preamble)
(16) Use of pesticides can be particularly dangerous in very sensitive areas, such as
Natura 2000 sites protected in accordance with Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC. In other places such as public parks and gardens, sports and recreation grounds, school grounds and children’s playgrounds, and in the close vicinity of healthcare facilities, the risks from exposure to pesticides are high. In these areas, the use of pesticides should be minimised or prohibited. When pesticides are used, appropriate risk management measures should be established and low-risk pesticides as well as biological control measures should be considered in the first place.

Article 12
Reduction of pesticide use or risks in specific areas

Member States shall, having due regard for the necessary hygiene and public health requirements and biodiversity, or the results of relevant risk assessments, ensure that the use of pesticides is minimised or prohibited in certain specific areas. Appropriate risk management measures shall be taken and the use of low-risk plant protection products as defined in Regulation (EC) No …/…+ and biological control measures shall be considered in the first place. The specific areas in question are:
(a) areas used by the general public or by vulnerable groups as defined in Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No …/…+, such as public parks and gardens, sports and recreation grounds, school grounds and children’s playgrounds and in the close vicinity of healthcare facilities;
(b) protected areas as defined in Directive 2000/60/EC or other areas identified for the purposes of establishing the necessary conservation measures in accordance with the provisions of Directives 79/409/EEC and 92/43/EEC;
(c) recently treated areas used by or accessible to agricultural workers.

The next step in the legal process is for these texts to be published in the Official Journal (OJ) of the European Union.  Here the laws are given formal reference numbers and dates indicating when they enter into force.

The Directive on sustainable use of pesticides will enter into force on the day following its publication in the OJ.  The other two items enter into force on the twentieth day following OJ publication.

EU Regulations have immediate effect throughout the EU, whilst Directives require national governments to bring into force implementing laws, regulations and administrative provisions. The final OJ texts will confirm the deadlines by which national governments must have implemented the Directives’ provisions. EU Directives can, in some circumstances, be “directly enforceable”.

Links:

Final agreed texts of:

Directive aimed at establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides so as to reduce the risks to human health and the environment and the dependency on the use of pesticides

Regulation concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and repealing directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC so as to ensure a high level of protection of both human and animal health and the environment and to improve the functioning of the internal market through the harmonisation of the rules on the placing on the market of plant protection products, while improving agricultural production

Directive aimed at improving the construction and maintenance of machinery for pesticide application, with a view to reducing the adverse effects of pesticides on human health and the environment

Yesterday EU Environment Ministers expressed deep concern at this failure and at the increasing threats to biodiversity from invasive alien species.

Golf Europa reported in April on the high level conference in Athens on biodiversity.

Yesterday’s clear message from EU national governments paves the way for a shake-up in EU biodiversity policy.  Expect proposals from the European Commission to make EU biodiversity legislation wider in its coverage across Europe and deeper in its impact.  Legislation focusing on invasive species is also likely.

Ultimately, a widening and a deepening of EU biodiversity legislation could impact significantly on golf course design, remodelling and maintenance.  BirdLife International, however, has dismissed the Council Conclusions as “wishful thinking”.

At their meeting yesterday of the EU Environment Council, Ministers failed to reach agreement on the draft EU Directive on soil protection.  Some governments do not agree that legislation on soil policy is appropriate at EU level.

In 2006, the European Commission issued a proposed Soil Framework Directive.  Since then, national governments have failed to agree that an EU Directive was appropriate on soil.

At this week’s meeting of EU Agriculture Ministers, the German government suggested the EU consider a “European Soil Protection Strategy” rather than a legally binding Directive.

There will be further consideration of this suggestion.

The European Commission has proposed a transitional period from May 2010 up to 14 May 2013, during which the biocides market will continue to be regulated by national rules.  Without an extension, popular products would have to be taken from the market as from 15 May 2010.

The European Parliament this week welcomed the European Commission proposal but voted to extend the transitional period to four years, instead of three (until 14 May 2014 rather than 14 May 2013) so as to make sure that all biocidal products containing active substances are evaluated in due time.

This is the so-called “mini revision” to the 1998 Biocides Directive.  The EU institutions have still to agree the “main revision” to the 1998 Directive.

Links

EP report

]]> http://golfeuropa.co.uk/?feed=rss2&p=68 0 http://golfeuropa.co.uk/?p=67 http://golfeuropa.co.uk/?p=67#comments Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:01:00 +0000 spope http://golfeuropa.co.uk/?p=67 The latest open call for tender from the European Commission’s Sports Unit is for a “Study on Internal Market Barriers to Sport Funding”.

The study will look into public and private sources of sport funding and into financial streams within particular sports.  It will also address possible cross-border obstacles that could affect the financing of sport.  This invitation to tender was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 14 March 2009.

Deadline for the receipt of tenders is 30 April 2009.

This Study is Action 37 in the Pierre de Coubertin Action Plan annexed to the European Commission’s 2007 White Paper on Sport.

More information:

Tender ref: MARKT/2009/04/E

European Commission Sports Unit website

Tenders Electronic Daily: study on internal market barriers to sport funding

The Parliament broadly supports the Commission’s proposal and is forecast to adopt formally its Opinion in the EP plenary session of 22 April.

This proposal forms part of the European Commission’s 2006 Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides.

The current EU Machinery Directive applies already to machinery for pesticide application with respect to the protection of the health and safety of the operators and other exposed persons. The purpose of this new proposal is to introduce specific essential requirements for the protection of the environment.

Several Member States have already introduced national measures (technical requirements and certification procedures) to be followed when placing new machinery on their markets, while other Member States have announced draft regulations in this field.  Hence, the need for this new proposed Directive to achieve the same level of environmental protection throughout the EU and to ensure fair competition between manufacturers and free movement of products in the EU.

Sprayers complying with the new requirements are expected to consume less pesticide and reduce losses caused by the handling of products during mixing, loading, spraying and cleaning operations.  Costs of machines are expected to rise.  Costs of pesticide usage are expected to fall.

Machinery for pesticide application includes:

• self-propelled machinery,
• towed, vehicle mounted and semi-mounted machinery,
• airborne machinery,
• stationary machinery intended for pesticide application, both for professional and consumer use,
• powered portable and handheld machinery and manually-operated portable and handheld machinery for pesticide application with a pressure chamber.

The Directive will not apply to manually-operated portable or handheld pesticide application equipment without a pressure chamber or to simple pesticide application equipment without moving parts.

Links:

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on machinery for pesticide application, amending Directive 2006/42/EC of 17 May 2006 on machinery

Report of the Europan Parliament Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection: rapporteur: Leopold Józef Rutowicz