We think the time has come for a dialogue on a national sustainable energy strategy, one that respects provincial jurisdiction but allows for a broad, integrative perspective on energy, the environment, and the economy.

(Return tabled) Question No. 611 Ms. Kirsty Duncan: With respect to the government’s plans for resource development, as described in the section entitled “Responsible Resource Development” in Chapter 3.2 of Budget 2012: (a) what are all examples of federal environmental laws that are stronger than provincial laws and how will the proposed legislative changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) affect the assessment of environmental impacts of industrial projects that cross provincial borders; (b) what research, action ...[+++], or investment has the government undertaken to study impacts of the proposed legislative changes to the CEAA on (i) regulatory decision-making, (ii) risk of project-specific and cumulative environmental impacts, (iii) risk mitigation by developers, (iv) Canada’s reputation; (c) what briefing notes, memos, or any other documentation, including, for each, the details of its findings and recommendations, have been provided to the Prime Minister, Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of the Environment, their respective Parliamentary Secretaries, their respective Deputy Ministers, and their respective staff members, regarding impacts of the proposed legislative changes to the CEAA on (i) regulatory decision-making, (ii) risk of project-specific and cumulative environmental impacts, (iii) mitigation by developers, (iv) Canada’s reputation; (d) will the proposed legislative changes to the CEAA give any consideration to (i) measuring negative impacts of development, (ii) managing negative impacts of development; (e) by what date will the government bring forth new “legislation to streamline the review process for major economic projects” (Budget 2012, p. 89); (f) what are the projected costs of changes to the CEAA for each province and territory; (g) what assessments of the adequacy of the environmental assessment process in each province and territory have been conducted, (i) what were the dates of any such assessments, (ii) what wer ...

1. Stresses the importance of strengthened cooperation at European, national, regional and local levels, which should include the effective implementation of common rules and more efficient ways of enforcement; also stresses the need for pragmatic and cooperative interconnection of transport and other policy areas such as energy, environment and innovation; proposes that transport policy should be fully integrated into the Lisbon Strategy and taken into account in the assessment and recommendations put forward each year by the Member States in their national plans in order to measure and compare progress;

Ministers agreed to continue the dialogue on the important energy/environment interrelationship and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen economic and trade relations in accordance with the principles and objectives of the Cooperation Agreement.

The Governments of the Member States and the Commission of the European Communities were represented as follows: Belgium: Mr Melchior WATHELET Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Justice and Economic Affairs Denmark: Mr Sven AUKEN Minister for the Environment Mr Jann SJURSEN Minister for Energy Mr Leo BJØRNESKOV State Secretary for the Environment Mr Soeren SKAFTE State Secretary for Industry and Energy Germany: Mr Clemens STROETMANN State Secretary for the Environment Mr Reinhard GOEHNER Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Greece: Mr Achillos KARAMANLIS Minister for the Environment, Regional Planni ...[+++]ng and Public Works Mr Vassilios KONTOYANNOPOULOS Minister for Energy Spain: Mr José BORREL Minister for Public Works and Transport France: Mr Michel BARNIER Minister for the Environment Ireland: Mr Michael SMITH Minister for the Environment Mr Noel TREACY Minister of State for Finance, with responsibility for Public Works Italy: Mr Rocco Antonio CANGELOSI Deputy Permanent Representative Luxembourg: Mr Alex BODRY Minister for Energy and the Environment Netherlands: Mr J.G.M. ALDERS Minister for Housing, Planning and the Environment Portugal: Mr Carlos BORREGO Minister for the Environment and Natural Resources Mr Luis MIRA AMARAL Minister for Industry and Energy United Kingdom: Mr Timothy EGGAR Minister for Energy Mr David MACLEAN Minister of State, Department of the Environment -------- Commission: Mr Yannis PALEOKRASSAS Member Mr Abel MATUTES Member COMMUNITY STATEGY ON CLIMATE CHANGE - PRESIDENCY CONCLUSIONS THE COUNCIL, stressing the serious global environmental issues at stake: WELCOMES progress achieved so far and ongoing work in developing the Community's overall strategy to limit carbon dioxide emissions and to improve efficiency of production, conversion, distribution and use of energy; STRESSES that measures to save energy, to improve energy efficiency and to promote the use of renewable energies constitute a fundamental el ...

That involves, inter alia: - the improvement of the functioning of the internal energy market, in particular the completion of the internal electricity and gas market; - respect for the general principles of competition and services of general economic interest, wherever they exist and according to the conditions laid down in the Treaty; - the definition of standardization programmes to promote energy efficiency and new and renewable sources of energy; - a consistent approach in the environmental field; - the development of trans- ...[+++]European networks; - the setting of energy priorities in future research programmes; - the establishment of a consistent approach as regards external relations; - the more coherent definition of programmes for energy efficiency and new and renewable sources of energy to allow for more effective use of budgetary means, 4. considers that the common energy objectives identified in the Resolution on the Green Paper should be implemented at Community level and invites the Commission to put in place a process of cooperation between the Community and the Member States in order to ensure that Community and national energy policies are compatible with those objectives, 5. believes that Community energy decisions must be taken in the context of a shared analysis of the energy situation and of future trends and invites the Commission to organize cooperation between Member States on energy studies, as called for in the resolution on the Green Paper, 6. considers that the promotion of new and renewable energies and energy efficiency can make a valid contribution to a safer and healthier environment and, together with the development of indigenous sources, both reduce the Community's energy dependency on external sources and promote economic growth and employment, 7. believes that the opening up of the internal energy market and environmental issues related to energy require transparency of economic indicators and invites the Commission to report ...