11957E130R

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Article 130r

1 . Action by the Community relating to the environment shall have the following objectives :

- to preserve , protect and improve the quality of the environment ,

- to contribute towards protecting human health ,

- to ensure a prudent and rational utilization of natural resources .

2 . Action by the Community relating to the environment shall be based on the principles that preventive action should be taken , that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source , and that the polluter should pay . Environmental protection requirements shall be a component of the Community's other policies .

3 . In preparing its action relating to 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 of lack of action ,

- the economic and social development of the Community as a whole and the balanced development of its regions .

4 . The Community shall take action relating to the environment to the extent to which the objectives referred to in paragraph 1 can be attained better at Community level than at the level of the individual Member States . Without prejudice to certain measures of a Community nature , the Member States shall finance and implement the other measures .

5 . Within their respective spheres of competence , the Community and the Member States shall co-operate with third countries and with the relevant 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 paragraph shall be without prejudice to Member States' competence to negotiate in international bodies and to conclude international agreements .