The measures available under axis 2 should be used to integrate these environmental objectives and contribute to the implementation of the agricultural and forestry Natura 2000 network, to the Göteborg commitment to reverse biodiversity decline by 2010, to the objectives laid down in Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy (7), and to the Kyoto Protocol targets for climate change mitigation.

The Commission adopted the operational programme for fisheries within the Community Support Framework for the Objective 1 regions for 2000-2006 by decision of 30 August 2000. It covers the whole of the Objective 1 area in Germany and includes an FIFG allocation of EUR105.2 million for the period 2000-2006, focusing particularly on processing and investment in fishing ports.

I. whereas, as regards Objective 1, only 19% of appropriations were committed in 2000 and 3.3% were paid; whereas, as regards Objective 2, only three Member States (Denmark, Finland, and Sweden) adopted SPDs in 2000, with the result that the volume of commitments totalled just 15% and the payment percentage 5%; and whereas, as regards Objective 3, the volume of budget commitments stood at just 10% and the volume of payments at 4.5%, owing to delays in the adoption of CSFs of SPDs,

Under the General Regulation on the Structural Funds, the period covered is seven years for all the Objectives (2000-06), although adjustments will be possible depending on the mid-term review (at the end of 2003).

This re-focus is beginning to take effect and given time and the implementation of the Government’s Programmes on Infrastructure, as outlined in the National Development Plan for the period 2000-2006, the IDA is certainly confident that it can reach this target for new projects in the Objective 1 region.

(13) Whereas the measures to reduce air pollution emissions from the year 2000 must form part of an integrated and multidirectional approach embracing all measures for reducing air pollution due to road traffic; whereas all the parameters set out in Article 4 of Directive 94/12/EC are relevant; whereas, for the requirements valid as from the year 2000, the aim should be, for light commercial vehicles, to lay down standards of equivalent stringency to those laid down for passenger cars employing an emission reduction technology of a uniform technical level, account being taken of the special characteristics of light commercial vehicles ...[+++]and, for vehicles of category N1, classes II and III, of the need to take into consideration any appropriate stipulations as to durability; whereas the Commission must undertake an analysis of the environmental, technological and cost-efficiency aspects and provide, by the end of June 1996, quantified objectives for the adoption of Community measures applicable from the year 2000,