Priority actions
The Environmental Technology Action Plan defines nine priority actions sorted in three main areas :
Getting from research to markets
1. Increase and focus research, demonstration
Given the increasing worldwide demand for and pressure on natural resources, existing technologies are not, in the longer term, adequate to safeguard sustainable development. ETAP puts forward actions to attract more private and public investment for the development and demonstration of environmental technologies in line with the EU objective of 3% of GDP for research. The actions aim to improve the innovation process and to take inventions out of laboratories and onto the market.
Useful links
2. European Technology Platforms
In addition to activities on research and demonstration, there are European Technology Platforms (ETPs) – public/private partnerships on a specific research topic. These platforms bring together all the interested stakeholders to build a long-term vision to develop and promote a specific technology or solve particular issues.
ETPs relevant to environmental technologies include:
More information about all technology platforms can be found on CORDIS
3. Environmental technology verification (only in English)
Producers - and especially SMEs - often find it difficult to convince the market of the merits of their environmental technology. Establishing a mechanism to validate objectively the performance of these products would increase purchasers' confidence in new environmental technologies.
The EU Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) pre-programme – involving participants on a voluntary basis – will generate independent and credible information on new environmental technologies, by verifying the performance claims put forward by technology vendors.
Improving markets conditions
4. Performance targets
Setting performance targets that are long-term and visionary as well as perceived as being viable and realistic by many different stakeholders (e.g. consumers, producers and policymakers) is one way to encourage industry to develop and take up environmental technologies. These targets need to be based on best environmental performance, while being realistic from an economic viewpoint.
Useful links:
- Integrated Product Policy seeks to minimise environmental degradations of products
- Eco-design of energy-using products Directive aiming at improving the environmental performance
of energy-using products - IPPC Directive (Integrated Pollution Prevention Control)
- EU Eco-Label and national experiences in the field of eco-design
- Environmental Management and Auditing Scheme
- Environmental Products Declaration
5. Mobilisation of financing (grants and loans)
Commercialising and using environmental technologies requires a broad mix of financial instruments.
These range from classical loans through guarantee mechanisms to venture capital.
Currently the EU has a range of financial instruments that can support investments in environmental technologies. In addition to the Research and Development Framework Programme and the demonstration programmes, such as Environment LIFE, the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund remain the main EU source of grants to such investments in eligible geographic areas.
The Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) that runs from 2007 to 2013 also addresses eco-innovation by stimulating the wider uptake of proven eco-efficient technologies, and by helping to bridge market gaps in SME finance, including the lack of investment in innovation such as eco-innovation.
6. Market-based Instruments
Well targeted economic incentives can be useful in helping to promote the take-up of environmental technologies. These have been successfully used for promoting energy-efficiency investments in households and for investing in renewable energy. They can take many different forms, for example, tradable permits and tax incentives.
To ensure that such subsidies, when granted to enterprises, do not unduly distort competition in the internal market,
the Commission adopted a new version for Guidelines for Environmental State Aid on 23 January 2008.
In the new guidelines, a 10% aid bonus may be granted where an investment improving on Community Standards or improving the level of environmental protection in the absence of standards involves eco-innovation.
Currently a general review of state aid guidelines is taking place: the Commission adopted a new state aid Framework for Research, Development and Innovation (OJ C 323 of 30.12.2006, p. 1) in 2006.
The Commission has also launched consultations on simplified rules for block exemptions, which currently cover areas such as aid to SMEs, and research and development aid in favour of SMEs.
The draft Regulation would consolidate these into one single Regulation and would furthermore exempt three types
of aid which have never been included in a block exemption before:
environmental aid, aid in the form of risk capital and exempting research and development aid (R&D) in favour of large enterprises. The Regulation will be adopted by the Commission and this is expected to happen before July 2008, as the current block exemption Regulations will expire on 30 June 2008.
Furthermore, the Commission has adopted a green paper on the use of market-based instruments in environmental policy (COM(2007) 140) that launched a wide consultation process on the further use of such instruments, both at EU and at national levels.
Useful links:
- State Aid Reform
- Summary conclusions of the Workshop on Environmental State Aid, Rome, 3 October 2005
7. Green public procurement
Public procurement accounts for around 16 % of the EU’s GDP. As such it represents a potentially powerful economic driver to further the uptake of environmental technologies. There is considerable potential for governments at all levels to lead by example. Member States have a key role in promoting this important market driver.
Useful links:
- Environment DG Green Public Procurement
- Internal Market and Services DG
8. Awareness raising and training
Promoting the take-up of environmental technologies is not only about technology and markets; it is also necessary to raise awareness about opportunities, as well as to develop the know-how to implement new solutions.
Thus, ETAP promotes awareness raising and training activities in conjunction with the development and take-up of environmentally friendly technologies. In the context of ETAP, key training needs are seen to be in industrial and business settings.
Useful links:
Acting globally
9. Supporting eco-technologies in developing countries, and promoting foreign investment
Investment in environmental technologies has the potential not only to increase employment and economic growth within the EU, but also to promote sustainable development at the global level, particularly in developing countries.
With economic growth, addressing detrimental social and environmental impacts from production activities is becoming increasingly urgent in many developing countries.
At the same time, environmental technologies can promote innovation and competitiveness, as well as decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, by leapfrogging traditional, polluting and resource-intensive production patterns and switching to increased eco-efficiency in the use of natural resources.
Useful links:
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