(11) As set out in Article 174 of the Treaty, the Community policy on the environment is to contribute to pursuit of the objectives of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, in prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources, and to be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, environmental damage should, as a priority, be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay.

As set out in Article 174 of the Treaty, the Community policy on the environment is to contribute to pursuit of the objectives of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, in prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources, and to be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, environmental damage should, as a priority, be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay.

(6) Whereas, as part of its tasks, the ERDF should support the productive environment and the competitiveness of enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises; local economic development and employment, including in the fields of culture and tourism where these contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs; research and technological development; the development of local, regional and trans-European networks including the provision of suitable access to the said networks in the sectors of transport infrastructure, telecommunications and energy; the protection and improvement of the environment taking into account the pr ...[+++]inciples of precaution and that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay and by fostering the clean and efficient utilisation of energy and the development of renewable energy sources; and equality between women and men in the field of employment;

(g) information allowing an evaluation to be made of the environmental impact and the implementation of the precautionary principle and the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay and compliance with the Community rules on the environment;

(6) Whereas, as part of its tasks, the ERDF should support the productive environment and the competitiveness of enterprises, especially small and medium-sized enterprises; local economic development and employment, including in the fields of culture and tourism where these contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs; research and technological development; the development of local, regional and trans-European networks including the provision of suitable access to the said networks in the sectors of transport infrastructure, telecommunications and energy; the protection and improvement of the environment taking into account the pr ...[+++]inciples of precaution and that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay and by fostering the clean and efficient utilisation of energy and the development of renewable energy sources; and equality between women and men in the field of employment;

the adoption of a global, proactive approach aimed at the different actors and activities which affect natural resources or pollute the environment.