Перевод текста save the earth european citizens are concerned about the state of the environment. they want their children and grandchildren to have the same right as we have ton clean air, clear water and green forests. the european union shares these concerns and has accepted the principle of sustainable development. since 1992, the focus of eu environmental policy has been to match production and consumption patterns to what our environment can sustain in the long term. climate change and the depletion of the layer are two instances where the limits of sustainability may have been exceeded. pre-1992, eu environmental policy concentrated on corrective action. this was not always successful, partly because there was no integrated approach between environmental protection and economic activities in other sectors which went on harming the environment. now the eu promotes partnership and shared responsibility to prevent and, where possible, reverse environmental degradation. it seeks from a coalition of government, industry and consumers a commitment to conserve resources, to re-use and recycle old products, to dispose of waste safely and develop environment-friendly energy sources. as pollution knows no frontiers, the eu sees its policy as part of a global strategy to save the environment for future generations. we are engaged in a race against time. the need for a pro-active policy to protect the environment is universally recognised in europe and elsewhere. social progress and economic prosperity have depended on activities which depleted the earth's resources and cause pollution. the products we need and the vital services we use - from transportation to health-care systems-use these resources and create waste and pollution as by-products. historically our planet's remarkable regenerative capacity was able to cope with the environmental impact of human activity. but this capacity is now stretched beyond its limit. the two need to be brought back into balance as quickly as possible. our environment is threatened in many, often interrelated ways . what are the main threats? global warming and the ensuing climate changes that could transform temperate zones of the earth into arid deserts and flood low-lying regions as ice caps melt is one prospect of environmental degradation that faces mankind. it is caused by the release into the atmosphere of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels. another consequence may be a sharp rise in skin cancers as the protective ozone layer in the upper atmosphere is depleted by man-made chemicals. the environment is further threatened by acid rain, the destruction of tropical forests and the extinction of many species of animal and plant life the quality of water, both for drinking and bathing, is another growing problem. more needs to be done to control agricultural pollution, while the supply of fresh water is causing problems in some areas of the eu. disposing of the billions of tonres of waste produced by our consumer society is another huge challenge. in the eu alone, more than 21 million tonnes of toxic waste have to be treated each year. the european union is the world's biggest trading power, with the largest integrated market. its member states and their citizens have reached a significant level of economic well-being. the union is therefore better placed than many countries and regions to put its own house in order and to give a lead to others. environmental problems are posed in different terms in different parts of the world. in the eu and other advanced countries, the essential goal is to change consumption patterns. in central and eastern europe, years of neglect and under-investment in pollution control has left a heritage of environmental degradation on the union's doorstep which is now a primary target for eu action. those countries which have applied to join the eu will have to adopt the existing body of eu environmental regulation before becoming members. this in itself will mark a significant step forward towards improving the environment in the eu. in developing countries, population pressure poverty have created unsustainable development patterns. the internal and external dimension of the eu's environment policy are inextricably linked. the union therefore has to play a leading role in the un and other international bodies. in this context, the commission out in february 1996 a policy paper on "trade and the environment", setting out ways in which free trade and environmental requirements can be mutually supportive and not contradictory as some people fear. there is a perceptible feeling in europe and further afield that many of the great environmental battles will be won or lost in the next ten years. if do not act in the beginning of the 21st century, it may be too late.