By Stefanos Evripidou
CLEAR skies, crystal blue waters and omnipotent sunlight are part of the package that gives Cyprus its romantic image as the island of love. But, what exactly sits in the water and which chemicals and gases get released into the air, soak the soil or invade our lungs in this idyllic setting?
Cyprus’ accession to the European Union on May 1, 2004, brings with it a cargo truck of laws, regulations, obligations and benefits. A huge bulk of these relate to the environment; but not just our environment, everybody’s.
The notion that environmental issues are for tree-hugging nature-lovers with nothing better to do has long been buried. The world is giving its hosts a very clear message, that they can no longer afford to view environmental damage and economic growth as mutually exclusive. The global environment is under serious threat as a result of human action. The signs are there — the pollution of air and water, the over-use of natural resources, the destruction of animal and bird species and their habitats and the menacing reality of climate change.
The EU has adopted a number of environmental measures over the past 30 years in an effort to deal with this cross-border issue. European leaders finally realised that decisions taken in all areas, from transport and agriculture to enlargement and international trade and development, affected the environment in one way or another.
After the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the EU declared that all Union policies and activities must take account of the environment, preparing the grounds for an integrated approach to all future decision-making. In other words, decision-makers now have to consider the impact of their actions on the environment, at least within EU borders.
According to Article 174 of the EU Treaty, Union policy has to be based on the ‘precautionary principle’. This means that where there is scientific uncertainty but reasonable grounds exist for potential adverse effects on the environment or health, even if the risk is not proved, action to avoid it should be considered.
Additionally, the aim of sustainable development, defined as “the effort to ensure that economic growth takes place in a way that can continue in the future, without exhausting resources or harming any section of society” is enhanced through preventive measures, the ‘polluter pays’ principle, combating environmental pollution at source and shared responsibility.
The results of this Europe-wide initiative are encouraging but not conclusive: evidence of the effects can be found in cleaner air, the removal of harmful lead from petrol, the decline in industrial emissions of toxic substances, the increase in the recycling of waste products and reduced pollution in drinking and bathing waters.
However, the burden of environmental damage is far from being lifted. The European Commission keeps a close eye on developments through its statistical office, Eurostat, and from the European Environment Agency. They reveal that the situation is improving in parts but on the whole, more action is needed in many areas.
A brief look at the current dangers in the environment:
Enough scientific evidence exists for people to take seriously the threat of climate change. The 1990s was the warmest decade of the 20th century on record in Europe, and global temperatures are predicted to rise by 1-6 degrees by 2100, according to the European Commission.
Nature and biodiversity are under threat, with wildlife still on the decline. Astonishing statistics reveal that in Europe, half the native mammals and one third of reptile, bird and fish species are endangered. Notably, farming, industry and tourism are destroying wilderness and natural habitats.
Air quality and the public’s exposure to air pollution have been linked to the dramatic increase in lung conditions such as asthma.
The increasing use of cars and air transport, especially in tourism, is causing further environmental damage. Efforts to reduce emissions from individual vehicles are countered by globalisation and shrinking geographical spaces. Meanwhile, train and water transport, which creates less pollution is losing its share of the market.
It is accepted that developed, consumer societies are the biggest creators of waste. The most common methods of waste disposal are landfilling and incineration, which in turn are associated with water pollution and soil contamination, health problems due to the emissions of dust and gases, and climate change. According to Eurostat estimates, the percentage of biodegradable municipal waste, which was landfilled in Cyprus in 1999 was well above 80 per cent.
The use of pesticides in agriculture is on the rise again. There are over 30,000 man-made chemicals in use in Europe, and as the Commission acknowledges, too little is known about their long-term health impact.
Of equal significance is the fact that natural resources on the land, such as fresh water, soil and minerals, cannot be replaced once they have been used up. Land itself is also a fixed resource. During 1980-2000, urban development swallowed up to 18 per cent of territory in some Member States, with intensive building witnessed along coastlines. The Commission is also aware of depleting fish stocks. According to their statistics, 12 out of 16 species of fish are classified as fully exploited, overfished or in danger of depletion.
The EU burden is great and so is the workload, to ensure a clean, promising future for the world, not just for the 10 acceding countries, but for member states too.
As the EU Ambassador to Cyprus, Adriaan Van Der Meer, explained to the Sunday Mail that harmonisation with EU law, the acquis communautaire, involves three stages: legal alignment with the EU (putting into place all the necessary legislation), implementation and enforcement. He stressed that implementation was just as important as adoption of the laws.
Environmental Services officer, Costas Papastavrou, from the Agriculture Ministry said that more than 350 EU directives, regulations and decisions were part of the environmental acquis. “There has been a great effort to transpose legal instruments into local legislation. Ninety-five per cent is already in place regarding the environment. The biggest challenge now is how to enforce and implement the legislation,” he said.
A huge bulk of the work has already been done, but some laws are still awaiting parliamentary approval. Papastavrou maintains that the full legislation will be in place by mid-June this year, while numerous studies are under way to figure out the best way to tackle implementation of the hefty bulk of environmental legislation.
The Commission released a progress report on Cyprus accession last October. The report contained a list of the areas that must be tackled: air quality, waste management, water quality, nature protection, industrial pollution control and risk management, chemicals and genetically modified organisms, noise pollution, nuclear safety and radiation protection. In their assessment, the Commission noted that the most worrying issue in Cyprus related to waste management.
However, Papastavrou was at pains to note that a huge amount of work had gone into the environment chapter and much more was yet to come. He admitted that the whole culture of Cyprus would change once EU obligations on environment came into effect. “Everyone will start thinking differently, from businesses to government to everyday people,” he said, adding: “We are making a continuous effort and we are confident that, at the end of the day, we will meet the necessary standards.”
Let’s hope we all do.
The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.
