(Rule 52)

A3-0322/94

Resolution on environmental technologies: opportunities for growth and employment

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the Commission White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment,

-having regard to its resolution of 17 December 1992 on the environment and industrial competitiveness,

-having regard to its resolution of 9 March 1994 on the need to access the true costs to the Community of 'Non-Environment',

-having regard to the fifth Programme of Action on the Environment,

-having regard to the proposed fourth Framework Programme on Research,

-having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having delegated the power of decision to the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy pursuant to Rule 52 of the Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and Industrial Policy (A3-0322/94),

A.whereas the competitiveness of European industry depends to a large extent on its ability to open up new markets, e.g. in the area of environmental technologies, in which there is already competition from Japan and the USA,

B.having regard to the great potential for growth in the market in environmental technologies, which was worth over US$ 200 billion worldwide in 1990, and is variously forecast to rise to between US$ 300 and 600 billion per year by the year 2000,

C.whereas a great many jobs, particularly qualified jobs with prospects for the future, could be created by promoting the environmental technology industry,

D.stressing the need for a change of tack from investment in end-of-pipe environmental technologies, which currently account for 80% of the demand in this area, to greater use of integrated environmental technologies and the development of integrated recycling systems,

E.whereas most innovations and investments in the field of environmental technology come about as a result of state regulations, orders and prohibitions which allow businesses to obtain 'pioneer profits' on the world markets,

1.Considers that there is still a demand for end-of-pipe environmental technologies and that there is a considerable need for environmental protection to combat pollution from the past in the Member States, which must be pursued by an active policy;

2.Considers in particular that there is a large export potential for end-of-pipe environmental technologies, and that an active EU trade policy must be promoted to meet this demand;

3.Stresses the need to emphasize the environmental and innovative importance of integrated environmental technologies and to take measures to enable such technologies to be more fully researched and applied;

4.Calls for the research and technology programmes of the EU and the Member States to be more strongly biased towards integrated environmental technologies;

5.Calls for a coherent horizontal industrial policy concept to be developed to promote the environmental industries in the European Union;

6.Calls for environmental technologies, as a job-creating growth market, to play a more significant part in measures to implement the White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment, and for programmes and projects in this area to be allocated more funding than hitherto;

7.Further calls for improved coordination of environmental policy and of the main areas of demand relating to the application of integrated environmental technologies in the EU Member States;

8.Calls for the European Union to extend its commitment in terms of environmental policy at international level with a view to promoting the use of integrated environmental technologies by means of coordinated measures and preventing distortion of competition resulting from divergent environmental standards;

9.Calls for a 'Green Dialogue' between the European Union, the Member States, scientists, economists, the two sides of industry and environmental and consumers' organizations with a view to initiating a 'Green Technology Offensive for Europe';

10.Considers that the purpose of this forum should be to work out priorities for the promotion of environmental technology, to draw up the necessary instruments for a broader application of these technologies in the European Union and to develop ideas aimed at putting into practice an integrated recycling system, initially at European level;

11.Considers it essential that the promotion of SMEs go hand in hand with the promotion of research into and application of environmental technologies, since around half of the firms offering environmental goods and services are SMEs, and since integrated environmental technologies, which tend to take the form of solutions tailored to the problems of a particular firm, are predominantly supplied by SMEs;

12.Calls for SMEs also to be involved at Member State level in the transfer of technology and in programmes to facilitate the application of integrated environmental technologies;

13.Urges the Commission to order as soon as possible a study, envisaging a number of different possible environment policy scenarios, on the effects of stepping up the promotion of environmental technologies on and the orientation of the economy towards a sustainable development mode;

14.Calls on the Member States to carry out an environmental tax reform with a view to promoting the application of integrated environmental technologies, to introduce a resources tax in the context of promoting low-energy and low-pollutant technologies;

15.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Member States.