Annexes to COM(2009)693 - State of Implementation of Integrated Product Policy SEC(2009)1707 - Main contents
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This page contains a limited version of this dossier in the EU Monitor.
| dossier | COM(2009)693 - State of Implementation of Integrated Product Policy SEC(2009)1707. |
|---|---|
| document | COM(2009)693  |
| date | December 21, 2009 |
These initiatives are often supported by active work on life-cycle data and methodologies . At least one third of the Member States have been developing tools and promoting life-cycle thinking very actively; some of them have established LCA research centres.
With regards to integrating life-cycle thinking within the operations of organisations, all Member States have measures in place to promote the EU environmental management scheme EMAS .
EXAMPLES OF IMPLEMENTING IPP AT BUSINESS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
Industry associations, individual companies and NGOs have co-operated with authorities and researchers at Community, national and local levels. Most product-specific activities , including the Commission's own pilot projects, were only possible with the proactive involvement of industry and NGOs. Industry has also been, and is being, instrumental in making life-cycle information available , notably by contributing to the European Life-Cycle Database.
There has been a significant increase of awareness of life-cycle thinking . Increasingly, industry sectors apply life-cycle thinking to inform their approaches towards product policy and communication with customers and authorities. One typical example is the Eco-profiles initiative of the plastics industry in Europe. Another example is the active participation of industry associations, through the Consultation Forum, in developing implementing measures of the Ecodesign Directive . There is also increasing participation of business in initiatives towards life-cycle based policy development , for example in the Retailers Forum, the European Food SCP Round Table and the BUILD-UP initiative.
Room for Further Action
Altogether significant progress has been made in the EU towards environmentally driven product policies. Nevertheless, with IPP being a process rather than a final status there continues to be ample room for further activities. Some evident options would include:
Further enhancing the role of IPP in national policies . Some Member States have exemplary measures in place but many are still lagging behind. As IPP is an ongoing process, different degrees of progress can also be seen due to wider developments during the reporting period, such as the enlargement of the EU. However, several new Member States have made good progress while several of the EU-15 Member States could step up their efforts.
For environmental NGOs, consumer organizations and SMEs participation in IPP processes and application of its instruments could be further encouraged and facilitated. As a general observation, it seems that more support and dialogue is needed to strengthen awareness of the environmental benefits that life-cycle thinking can bring to reducing the overall negative impacts of products. Many product panels and the pilot projects have demonstrated that this can be achieved particularly well by co-operation on concrete cases.
As already indicated in the IPP Communication, the concept can also be applied to the environmental improvement of non-industrial products and to services . Initiatives in this direction have been launched in the context of the SCP/SIP Action Plan, such as the already mentioned Retail Forum and European Food SCP Round Table.
The 'IPP instruments' of taxation and subsidies have not yet been applied at Community level.
Policy Initiatives from IPP to the SCP/SIP Action Plan
The IPP concept has been elaborated by the Commission at a time of new major initiatives in environmental policy, marking a shift from end-of-pipe to preventive action. At Community level the 6th EAP called for its application to natural resources and waste policy. On the international level, the Johannesburg Summit brought action on sustainable production and consumption patterns to the attention of policy makers.
Recognizing that many environmental problems are caused by the ever increasing numbers and varieties of globally traded products and materials, IPP was seen to supplement sectoral environmental policies on waste, water, air or chemicals.
Two years after the Council had endorsed the IPP Communication, the Commission presented the Thematic Strategies on natural resources and waste that built upon IPP principles in their respective domains. Yet another two years on, the Commission issued its consultation document on a future SCP/SIP Action Plan and adopted the plan in the following year.
The SCP/SIP Action Plan foresees a review of some of its elements, as well as of the plan itself, by 2012, thereby keeping the call for concrete measures for implementing IPP instruments high on the political agenda.
Conclusions
IPP aims at using the most suitable policy instruments for the continuous improvement of products. It is an ongoing process rather than a finite state. It requires a high level of awareness among policy makers and other stakeholders, and the will to translate awareness into concrete action on a daily basis.
The IPP approach has contributed significantly to the development of several environmental policies in the areas of product design, use of natural resources and management of waste. Member States, industry and other stakeholders have actively advanced its implementation by direct involvement at Community level, transposition of Community legislation, economically motivated actions and other own initiatives.
The implementation of IPP in terms of policy integration is difficult to document as new policies seldom make explicit reference to IPP. However, overall significant progress has been made in the uptake of life-cycle thinking by key industries and policy makers, and the availability of life-cycle data and consensus on methodology have greatly advanced. Good progress has also been made in identifying products with the greatest potential for improvement and possible measures for improvement.
Consumer information, eco-design legislation, clean production and "green" public procurement/purchasing are now at the core of the SCP/SIP Action Plan. The SCP/SIP Action Plan is carrying forward the process initiated with the IPP Communication with the aim of further unlocking market potentials for more sustainable products and promoting smarter consumption. The review of the Action Plan foreseen in 2012 will provide an excellent opportunity to further assess the development of IPP.
[1] COM (2003) 302.
[2] COM (2001) 68.
[3] Renewed Strategy on Sustainable Development of 9 June 2006 n° 10117/06.
[4] COM (2001) 31.
[5] See http://www.un.org/esa/dsd/dsd_aofw_scpp/scpp_tenyearframprog.shtml
[6] However, two pilot projects were carried out to test the validity of the approach and gain experience in its implementation. Mobile phones and garden chairs made from tropical wood were selected, without prejudice to the significance of the environmental impacts of the chosen products or the expected degrees of improvement. See http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/pilot.htm.
[7] Council conclusions of 12 November 2003 on Integrated Product Policy.
[8] COM (2005) 97.
[9] COM (2008) 397
[10] Since they are the crucial intermediary between producers and consumers, the Retailers in cooperation with the producers will need to ensure adequate labeling and information on products so as to contribute to a shift towards more sustainable products. The presented environmental information should be understandable, not ambiguous and not likely to mislead or confuse the consumers.
[11] Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products
[12] Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on waste
[13] Directive 2008/12/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators
[14] COM (2005) 670
[15] COM (2005) 666
[16] See http://ec.europa.eu/environment/ipp/pilot.htm.
[17] See: http://ipts.jrc.ec.europa.eu/activities/sustainable_development/susproc.cfm
[18] The European Food SCP Round Table is a multi-stakeholder process aiming at: i) identifying scientifically reliable and uniform environmental assessment methodologies for food and drink products across the entire products life-cycle; ii) identifying the suitable communication tools to consumers and other stakeholders; iii) promoting the continuous environmental improvement of food and drink products along the supply chain.
[19] In the Build-up website building professionals, local authorities and building occupants can share their experience on how to cut energy consumption in buildings, see http://www.buildup.eu/. The European Commission has also set a Concerted Action with representatives of the Member States to exchange best practices on the implementation of the Directive on Energy Performance of Buildings (Directive 2002/91/EC of the European parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2002, on the energy performance of buildings. O.J. L 1/65 of 4.1.2003).
[20] COM (2007) 860