European Commission split over environmental commitments

Two environmental strategies, due to be presented in July, are temporarily suspended awaiting a 20 July orientation debate on the costs of implementing environmental policies. The Barroso Commission has committed itself to revive the Lisbon agenda and to focus on economic growth and jobs. To the business lobby and some of the more liberal commissioners, these commitments are at odds with strong environmental and social policies. Although the Commission has repeated over and over again that the three dimensions (economic, environment and social) of sustainable development are of equal weight, several commissioners as well as President Barroso himself have on many occasions said that economic growth is a prerequisite for environmental protection and social inclusion. Two new thematic strategies on air pollution and marine protection were to be adopted by the college of commissioners in July but President Barroso has temporarily shelved the adoption of these new initiatives from Commissioner Dimas. According to Commission sources, Mr Barroso and Enterprise Commissioner Verheugen have also launched a new attack on the REACH (chemicals review) proposal before the first reading in the European Parliament. "The Commission has not had enough debate on the environment," spokeswoman Fran�oise Le Bail told Brussels reporters, admitting that the Commission is divided. She announced that the commission will hold an orientation debate on the costs of environmental policies on 20 July. Green NGOs accused the Commission of giving in to the strong business lobby and warned that any weakening of commitments to the environment would lead to more citizens' scepticism about the Union.