THE COUNCIL ,
HAVING REGARD to Article 5 b) of the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14 December 1960;
HAVING REGARD to the Recommendation of the Council of 26 May 1972 on Guiding Principles concerning International Economic Aspects of Environmental Policies [C(72)128];
CONSIDERING that environmental goals should be considered equally with other economic and social goals in the establishment of government programmes;
CONSIDERING that the prevention of adverse environmental effects is the most effective way of realising environmental policy goals either within a country's territory or beyond its boundaries;
CONSIDERING that one helpful way to realise environmental goals is through the forecasting and description of significant consequences to the environment resulting from proposed decisions and actions, both at public and private levels;
On the proposal of the Environment Committee;
I. RECOMMENDS that Member Governments:
1. Establish procedures and methodologies for forecasting and describing the environmental consequences of significant public and private projects likely to have a major impact on the quality of the environment;
2. Exchange information on environmental matters which would help them to forecast and describe the environmental effects of proposed programmes or projects.
II. INSTRUCTS the Environment Committee to assess the action taken pursuant to this Recommendation and to report thereon to the Council.