On 24 March 2015 JBCE invited Ms Anita Drondina, Environment Cousellor of the Latvian EU Presidency, to the latest Environment Committee meeting. Ms Drondina briefly mentioned the 3 overall priorities of the Latvian EU Presidency (i.e. a competitive, digital, and engaged EU) before explaining in more detail the Pesidency’s primary work areas in the field on EU environmental policy.
Climate change (specifically the forthcoming Paris COP meeting & the EU market stability reserve) and air quality (particularly the Clean Air package & the National Emissions Ceiling Directive) are on top of Latvia’s 6 month working agenda the environment committee heard. Ms Drondina clarified that the Circular Economy Package had originally been the Latvian Presidency’s third top environment priority, but explained that the situation had changed due to the European Commission’s decision to withdraw the Circular Economy package of waste, recycling and incineration laws. Biodiversity was mentioned as another important dossier. Finally, Ms Drondina stated that the Latvian Presidency is working on the integration of environmental aspects into the review of the EU 2020 Strategy.
The presentation of Ms Drondina was followed by a Q&A session in which environment committee members asked the guest speaker a series of questions in relation to the topics covered by the preceding presentation.