Environment

Date: 19/06/1997

The summit failed to agree on an extension of majority voting in the environmental field because of objections from several member states.

While the new treaty undoubtedly strengthens the EU's commitment to a cleaner environment on paper, green lobbyists stress it will only become clear over time how much practical difference the changes will make. Pressure from Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen produced a strengthening of the 'environmental guarantee' to allow member states - in theory at least - to take their domestic legislation further than the EU norm where they have specific problems. The new treaty makes sustainable development a specific goal of EU policy.