Description
Following the European Environment Agency (EEA) report published last March, the Commission launched a public consultation on 11 May to gather the views of citizens and stakeholders on the implementation of the polluter pays principle in the EU. The Commission will use the information to assess whether European and national policies are sufficient to ensure that polluters bear the costs of pollution prevention, control and remediation measures.
The consultation will cover issues such as the use of market-based instruments by the EU and Member States, the indirect payment of polluters through environmentally harmful subsidies, the lack of application of the principle in the context of EU funds, how environmental liabilities are addressed and the use of prices in policies.
The public consultation is also a response to the European Court of Auditors' report that the polluter pays principle is unevenly applied in EU environmental policies, with incomplete coverage and implementation. The results of the consultation will be used to prepare a comprehensive policy assessment, also known as an 'adequacy check', in 2024. The assessment will be used to develop a recommendation on how best to implement this principle in environmental policies, as announced in the Commission's Zero Pollution Action Plan. The consultation will remain open until 4 August 2023.