ational level to deal with regional or
worldwide environmental problems.
2. Community policy on the environment shall aim at a high level of
protection taking into account the diversity of situations in the various
regions of the Community. It shall be based on the precautionary
principle and on the principles that preventative action should be
taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at
source and that the polluter should pay. Environmental protection
requirements must be integrated into the definition and
implementation of other Community policies.
In this context, harmonization measures answering these
requirements shall include, where appropriate, a safeguard clause
allowing Member States to take provisional measures, for non-
economic environmental reasons, subject to a Community inspection
procedure.
3. In preparing its policy on the environment, the Community shall take
account of:
- available scientific and technical data;
- environmental conditions in the various regions of the Community;
- the potential benefits and costs of action or lack of action;
- the economic and social development of the Community as a whole
and the balanced development of its regions.
4. Within their respective spheres of competence, the Community and
the Member States shall co-operate with third countries and with the
competent international organizations. The arrangements for
Community co-operation may be the subject of agreements between
the Community and the third parties concerned, which shall be
negotiated and concluded in accordance with Article 228.
The previous subparagraph shall be without prejudice to Member
States' competence to negotiate in international bodies and to
conclude international agreements.
ARTICLE 130s
1. The Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 189c and after consulting the Economic and Social Committee,
shall decide what action is to be taken by the Community in order to
achieve the objective referred to in Article 130r.
2. By way of derogation from the decision-making procedure provided
for in paragraph 1 and without prejudice to Article 100a, the Council,
acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after
consulting the European Parliament and the Economic and Social
Committee, shall adopt:
- provisions primarily of a fiscal nature;
- measures concerning town and country planning, land use with the
exception of waste management