At EU level, the issue of smoke-free environments has, up to now, been the subject of several non-binding resolutions and recommendations which do not provide detailed guidelines on how to set up smoke-free environments.

1. Welcomes the presentation of integrated broad economic policy and employment guidelines which concentrate on growth and employment while remaining committed to a balance between the three pillars of the Lisbon Strategy in line with the conclusions of the Brussels European Council of 22 and 23 March 2005, that integrated presentation being a sign of the complementary nature of economic and social policy and of commitment to further progress towards making the macro-economic framework established for the Union simpler and easier to understand; supports the determination of the Commission and the Council to concentrate to a greater extent on growth and employment; recalls that environmental ...[+++] requirements will help to establish a forward-looking, dynamic and efficient economy which offers citizens a high quality of life; supports the determination of the Commission and the Council to concentrate to a greater extent on growth and employment by increasing competitiveness, extending the internal market to the services sector, improving the efficiency of public services and consequently boosting domestic demand;

At EU level, the issue of smoke-free environments has so far been addressed in non-binding resolutions and recommendations, but these do not provide detailed guidance on how to achieve fully smoke-free environments.

28. Calls for guidelines and national action plans in the field of environmental policy, in particular for introducing new and cleaner technologies, and insists on the implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency legislation by means of economic instruments such as a sustainable subsidies policy and environmental taxation, which should be geared towards a permanent transition to sustainable production and consumption patterns, without increasing the total tax burden;

- indicative or guidance thresholds or criteria - thresholds are provided as a guide only -projects above a given size or other threshold/criteria levels are considered more likely to require EIA, while projects below these thresholds are considered less likely to require EIA, but will still need to be screened on a case-by-case basis for the likelihood of significant environmental effects; and

5.4. Whilst it is true that the Commission's support programmes have generally followed the Council's guidelines on coordination and concentration of support in the social sectors fairly well, where the regional dimension of adjustment and protection of the environment are concerned the results of the programmes examined have been less than envisaged and it was not possible to tell whether particular attention might have been paid to this aspect.