Water

The Water Framework Directive covers all water management aspects in order to achieve a 'good status' of all waters by 2015. This objective means that rivers, lakes and coastal waters should be clean enough to host a nearly natural biodiversity (like fish, plants, birds, etcetera). To achieve this, it is very necessary to commit to phase out discharges, emission and losses of hazardous substances in to the water by 2020. This vote aimed at making this phasing-out a core principle of the Water Framework Directive. An MEP voting against this amendment obviously does not want this to happen.

Air Quality

The EU sets National Emission Ceilings (NEC), which means that each country is allowed to exhaust a certain amount of pollution into the air.
Voting in favour of this amendment means an MEP wants to set less ambitious national emission ceilings for sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO_x), ammonia (NH₃) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which would result in more damage to human health and the environment.

Chemicals

Some chemical substances provide a risk to human health and the environment. Before this amendment was adopted, a certain class of chemicals needed to be considered dangerous at all times, following the precautionairy principle. By voting in favour of this amendment, it now first has to be scientifically proven that a substance is dangerous (carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or toxic), before it is considered dangerous. MEPs voting in favour of this amendment do not want to take a precautionairy approach to these chemicals.

Recycling

This amendment sets higher reuse and recycling rates for IT and telecommunication equipment. MEPs voting against this amendment did not want to force Member States and industry to increase their efforts for recycling for items such as mobile phones and computers.

Transport

The Trans-European Network of Transport (TEN-T) is a network of so-called 'transport corridors' through Europe. This amendment calls for a full Strategic Environmental Assessment of these transport corridors and calls on the Commission to improve methods for analysing the environmental and economic impact of the TEN-T.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are already in our food and GM crops are growing in fields across Europe - yet we do not know if they are safe. Some companies and even some governments, claim that our health and the environment are not at risk. Many people, however, including independent scientists, believe that not to be true. Therefore it is very important that consumers have the choice to avoid food products produced from GMOs. In July 2002 the European Parliament voted on a proposal to include more GM food products (such as edible oils and sugar) in a mandatory labelling scheme. The proposal was adopted by a considerable majority. MEPs voting against this proposal wanted to deny consumers the right to choose GM free food.

Pesticides

Pesticides are toxic chemicals used in agriculture to kill unwanted pests. Pesticides leak into ground water, causing high treatment costs and frequently exceeding the legal safety limits in drinking water. Pesticides have serious health risks that include increased vulnerability to diseases, reproductive disorders and various types of cancer. Children and foetuses are especially vulnerable to pesticides. The European Parliament proposed to ban or severely restrict use of pesticides in areas around sources of drinking water and nature protected zones. MEPs who voted against effectively voted for continuation of excessive levels of pesticides in our water resources.

Liability

The Polluter Pays Principle basically means that whoever causes pollution or environmental damage, has to pay for it to be cleaned up. This report aims to apply this principle, so polluters have to pay for environmental clean-up, and it supports an EU-wide regime which makes polluters liable for the damage they cause to wildlife, water and land.

Energy tax

Renewable energy sources such as wind or solar power are still relatively expensive. This amendment aimed at giving tax benefits to these environmentally friendly sources of energy, which would make them cheaper and more competitive to conventional (more polluting) sources of energy. It also gives tax benefits to environmentally friendly uses of energy for transport, for instance trains.

Nuclear

The 1986 Chernobyl Disaster made clear the need to close Europe's most dangerous nuclear plants. In accession talks, Bulgaria agreed the closure in 2006 of two Soviet-designed reactors at Kozloduy. But nuclear lobbyists pushed hard to reverse the decision and so extend the life of these stations. In March 2004, MEPs were asked if the closure date should be upheld or not. MEPs voting against this amendment wanted to keep these reactors open longer.