EU Environmental Ministers Agreed on Protection of Marine Environment

EU Environmental Ministers Agreed on Protection of Marine Environment

Tiistai 19.12.2006 08:03 Kauppalehti Online

PRESS RELEASE 18.12.2006

Ministry of the Environment

EU ENVIRONMENTAL MINISTERS AGREED ON PROTECTION OF MARINE ENVIRONMENT

The environment ministers of the European Union reached a political
agreement on the marine strategy directive. The directive aims to
achieve or maintain good environmental status in the marine
environment by year 2021.

"The directive is a major step in marine protection. Seas and oceans
have during the centuries been an important source of European well-
being. The deterioration of marine environment has caused great
concerns. It is our task to improve marine protection, also for the
sake of the future generations. The political agreement reached
today is an encouraging sign on that we will be able to bear our
responsibility", states Mr. Jan-Erik Enestam, Finland's Minister
of the Environment, President of the Council.

"I am very satisfied with the progress made and the result achieved.
The marine environment directive has been one of the Presidency
priorities. What makes the result even more valuable is that the
negotiation process was quite complex and many of the details remained
open until the very final stages. The Presidency has worked in a
determined and persistent manner to reach the goal", Mr. Enestam
stressed.

The directive establishes an integrated approach and common goals for
protection of the European marine environment. The marine problems
will be addressed in each marine region taking into account the
specificities of the region.

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