UEAPME General Assembly Tours, 30 October 2008 Guido Lena, UEAPME Director Sustainable Development...

UEAPME General Assembly Tours, 30 October 2008

Guido Lena, UEAPMEDirector Sustainable Development Unit

European Sustainable Development Policy

Priorities for Crafts and SMEs

The main issue 08/09: SCP Action Plan

Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan includes:• Overarching strategy + Revision of EMAS, Eco-Label, Eco-

Design Directive, Labelling Directive and Greening of Public Procurement (part of EU strategy to fight climate change)

Main challenge (overarching strategy + revision Eco-

Design):• New higher minimum environmental and energy requirements

for products to be allowed on the market (1st barrier)• A new general labelling system (A, A+, B…): only the products

with the highest labels can: receive European subsidies + be subject to public procurements!(2nd barrier)

New manufacturing philosophy! Danger: lots of SMEs out of the market!

Solutions proposed by UEAPME

Create the right framework for SMEs: ? Preliminary economic and social impact assessments,

preliminary information, thresholds, exclusions, technical and financial supports, long implementation terms, simpler implementation…

Through a new version of ECAP (Environmental Compliance Action Programme) linked to a strong SBA

How to achieve this result:? Already met Commissioners (Verheugen, Dimas) and

very high Commission’s officials? Now action on European Parliament and Council starts Joint efforts needed!