<P> The legal formalisation of the EU's commitment to sustainable development as a policy objective was completed by the Lisbon Treaty . Sustainable development is now repeatedly mentioned in the Treaties: as a basic objective of the EU in the new Article 3 TEU; in Article 21 TEU concerning the external action of the Union; and in Article 11 TFEU setting out the integration principle . The EU is now legally committed to pursue sustainable development both internally and externally (i.e. in its relations with' the wider world'). </P> <P> This legal commitment led to the setting up of an impact assessment process to be done ex ante, i.e. before the fact, to ensure that all future EU legislation would conform to the principles of sustainable development as laid down in the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development . In fact, multiple processes of impact assessment emerged: Commission - wide Impact Assessment for all future EU legislation, Sustainability Impact Assessment (SIA) for DG Trade and Integrated Sustainability Assessment (ISA) as envisioned in EU - funded research projects such as MATISSE, In - Context and VISION RD4SD, which has been recommended for consideration as a methodology for future global assessments . </P> <P> The post 2008 economic crisis has led to a marked decline in high - level policy interest in long - term policy objectives such as sustainable development . A new' Europe 2020' strategy replaced the Lisbon Strategy in 2010; it reduced the environmental dimension to energy and resource efficiency . The words' sustainable development' are not even mentioned . The future of the EU's sustainable development policies is uncertain and it is possible that the EU will return once again to a narrower focus on environmental policy . </P> <P> The Water Framework Directive is an example of a water policy, aiming for rivers, lakes, ground and coastal waters to be of "good quality" by 2015 . The Birds Directive established as early as 1979 and the Habitats Directive are pieces of European Union legislation for protection of biodiversity and natural habitats . These protections however only directly cover animals and plants; fungi and micro-organisms have no protection under European Union law . The directives are implemented through the Natura 2000 programme and covers 30,000 sites throughout Europe . </P>

Which of the following is not a stated environmental goal of the european union