Climate change in the European Commission’s Impact Assessment.

An evaluation of selected impact assessment reports

Valentine van Gameren, Centre d’Etudes du Développement Durable, Institut de Gestion de l’Environnement et de

l’Aménagement du Territoire, Université Libre de BruxellesEuropean Environmental Evaluators Network Forum 2012

9th February 2012

Introduction

Impact assessment system of the European Commission (EC IA)

- Development of ‘integrated impact assessments’(IIA): economic, social and environmental impacts in a single assessment instrument

- “the process of systematic analysis of the likely impacts of intervention by public authorities » (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Communication from the Commission on Impact Assessment, COM 276 Final, Brussels, 2002, p3)

- Established in 2002- implemented since 2003- Revisions of guidelines in 2005 and 2009

Introduction

Integration of environmental impacts in IIA?- Environmental policy integration theory: impact

assessments = procedural instruments that contribute to integrate environmental concerns into sector-based policies

- But risk of IIA to underestimate environmental (and social) impacts w/r to economic impacts

- EC IA system: tension induced by the double origin of the system, i.e 1) better regulation and Lisbon agenda and 2) sustainable development agenda

Research questions

Analysis focused on the integration of one kind of environmental impacts, i.e. climate change = one of the biggest environmental challenges for European policy

Question 1

Are impacts on climate change of policy proposals taken into account in selected EC IA reports?

Question 2

In which manner are these impacts assessed?

Assumptions Assumption 1

Struggle against climate change = one important challenge for EU policy

One of the objectives of the EC IA system = “a more coherent implementation of the European strategy for Sustainable Development” (EUROPEAN COMMISSION, Communication from the Commission on Impact Assessment, COM 276 Final, Brussels, 2002 p2).

CC= top priority in SD strategy

EC IA guidelines: CC in checklist of environmental impacts

→ impacts on climate change are assessed by IA reports, especially those dealing with policy proposals related to climate change issues (sample)

Assumption 2

Differences between IA reports in the level of assessment of impacts on climate change

Differences due to different factors, namely the participation of DG ENV to the IA process i.e. in the inter-service groups

// recommendation of EC IA evaluation reports to better assess environmental impacts

→ Level of assessment of CC impacts linked to the level of involvement of DG ENV

Methodology

Content analysis of a selection of IA reports

Interviews with EC staff

Content analysis of selected IA reports Selection of 14 IA reports - DG responsible: AGRI- DEV- ENTR- RTD- TREN- Policy proposals: binding (regulations, directives, decisions) and non binding

(communications)- Between 2005 and 2009- Policy proposals: topics linked to climate change issues

Analysis grid- Identification of references to climate change and their place in the different

chapters of the reports (problem definition, objectives, options, impacts, comparison of options, monitoring)

- Qualitative assessment : description of the characteristics of climate change as environmental risk (irreversibility, inertia, globality, …)

- Quantitative assessment: quantification, monetarization, modelling or specific methodologies

- Stakeholders’ consultation- Advice from the IA board- DGs in the inter-services group

‘Quality criteria’ w/r to assessment of impacts of policy proposals on climate change

1) coherence between the subject of the policy initiative and the references to climate change

2) coherence between the place of these references to climate change in the different chapters of the report

3) balance between qualitative and quantitative assessment

Interviews

Complementary to content analysis Semi-directive interviews Focused on institutional elements: involvement

of DGs in inter-services groups, stakeholders consultation,...

European Commission’s members- Authors of the selected IA reports- DG ENV: climate change strategy unit and IA unit- SEC GEN: Better regulation and IA unit- IA units of DG ENTR, TREN, AGRI, RTD

Results Assumption 1 is confirmedAll reports of the sample assess impacts on climate change= Positive result w/r to critics of undervaluation of environmental impacts by

integrated impact assessments

Assumption 2 is invalidatedThe level of assessment of impacts on climate change is not correlated to the level

of involvement of DG ENV in the IA process (inter-service group)Even if influence of DG ENV on the assessment of environmental has been

mentioned in interviews→ Others factors should play a role

Other tested factors :- Consultation of environmental stakeholders - Advice from IA Board- Leading DG - Binding vs non binding nature of policy initiative- Year of publication

The sample showed an influence of leading DG on the assessment of impacts on climate change

Explaining internal factors (staff training, resources etc)?

Other non tested factors:- IA teams and IA trainings // Influence of leading DG- Timing of IA process- Level of ‘openness’/flexibility of the policy initiative

Research perspectives

- Larger sample/ other criteria of quality

- CC Mitigation/ adaptation

Thank you for your attention!

IA reports EU Strategy for Africa (2005- DG DEV) Regulation on motor vehicles emissions (2005- DG ENTR) Action plan for biomass (2005- DG TREN) Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the seventh framework programme of the

European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013) (2005- DG RTD)

Biofuels Communication (2006- DG AGRI) Communication on EU Strategy for the Caribbean (2006- DG DEV) Communication on EU Strategy for the Pacific Region (2006- DG DEV) Regulation on type-approval of motor vehicles and engines with respect to emissions from heavy duty vehicles

(EURO VI) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information (2007- DG ENTR) Communication on European Energy Strategic technology Plan (SET-Plan) (2007- DG TREN) Renewable Energy Road Map (2007-DG TREN) Joint Technology Initiative in the area of aeronautics and air transport 'Clean Sky' (2007- DG RTD) Proposal for a Regulation setting up the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (2007-DG RTD) Proposal for a Directive establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy related

products (2008-DG ENTR) Communication: EU strategy for supporting disaster risk reduction in Developing Countries (2009-DG DEV)