Commission communication on the Single Market and the environment
The European Commission has adopted, on 9 June 1999, a communication on the Single Market and the environment, which will go to the Council and Parliament. The communication outlines how the EU can and must consolidate and develop interaction between the smooth operation of the Single Market and a sufficient degree of environmental protection. The communication sets out principles already in use by the Commission to ensure the free movement of goods and a high level of environmental protection, and it sums up the EU's experience to date. It also identifies ways in which EU policies for the Single Market and environmental protection can strengthen each other, for example in areas such as standardisation and environmental labeling. It also includes suggestions for a number of key initiatives for future progress in making environmental and economic objectives more compatible. Some examples of the proposed initiatives are: - To publish an interpretive communication clarifying how environmental considerations can be included in public contracts; - To update the Commission's current database on the ecological taxes and duties applied in the single market; - To reassess the EU's rules on state aids for environmental protection.