The economy and the environment to march hand-in-hand

Janez Potočnik, currently European Commissioner for research and science and hoping to take over the environment portfolio, emphasised in his parliamentary hearing yesterday the need for a “holistic approach” and for environmental concerns to reach across many EU policies.

The Slovenian Commissioner referred to the 7th Framework Programme (FP7) and the public-private partnerships in the recovery plan as examples of this. “FP7 is green,” he said, pointing not to its explicitly environmental aspects, but rather transport, energy and nanotechnology. And the projects in the recovery plan – the “Factories of the Future”, “Energy-efficient Buildings” and “Green Cars” initiatives – all focus on clean technologies, said the commissioner, who himself drives a Prius. “Everything has this concept (the environment) in mind,” he told MEPs.

When asked how he planned to take the emotion out of environmental issues and base them more on science, Potočnik replied, “We can’t take emotion out because we are human beings and human beings are emotional. The problem is when emotions are driving policy.” He reminded MEPs that President Barroso had also promised to appoint a Chief Scientific Adviser.

Climate Change is an area that has been hived off into a separate portfolio for Denmark’s Connie Hedegaard in the new Commission. Potočnik said this division will benefit environmental issues that have had to take a back seat in the past. Biodiversity, soil, waste management and water are, “in the shadow of climate change” and will be “upgraded and get proper treatment in the future.”

In response to MEPs’ repeated questions on the difficulties of getting member states to implement environmental legislation, Potočnik promised, “Implementation will be high on my agenda. Only implemented legislation is the true legislation in favour of the environment.” One MEP suggested there should be a moratorium on new environmental laws until existing rules are implemented; that would be a step too far, Potočnik said.

Throughout his three-hour hearing, during which there was much applause for Potočnik and the homework he had done in preparation, the commissioner-designate repeatedly stressed the fact that “we live in a market economy” and there is a need to ensure that “the economy goes hand in hand with the environment.”