Brussels, 09/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - The Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, which has just taken over from the Spanish Presidency, will focus on the sustainable exploitation of resources and raw materials at the meeting of EU environment ministers in Ghent on Sunday 11 July until Tuesday 13 July.
The Flemish environment minister, Joke Schauvliege, will be chairing the meeting and introducing the debate alongside EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potoènik. The way the Belgian Presidency sees it, this is a crucial issue because if the current exploitation model were to continue, then it would inevitably lead to running out of raw materials and deterioration of the environment. In order to manage resources sustainably, the natural capital has to be preserved (raw materials, semi-finished products and waste materials) and the deleterious impact on the environment of such materials, throughout their lifecycles, needs to be reduced at all stages, from the exploitation of raw materials to the processing of waste via manufacturing and consumption, explains the Belgian Presidency.
Schauvliege aims to test the waters for getting the EU to take on board an ambitious, joined-up policy to save rare riches using new policies where necessary (the details of which have yet to be worked out).
Guided by the Belgian Presidency, the ministers will answer the following questions: How can EU policy encourage the prevention of waste, and recycling? How can the EU help ensure raw materials are used more efficiently? How can new forms of cooperation be encouraged among the various players in a supply chain and among politicians, industry and consumers to ensure sustainable use of raw materials? How can policy encourage new forms of trading that examine the entire lifecycle of a product? What is the best way to coordinate EU measures on raw materials, manufacturing and consumption?
Over lunch on Tuesday, the ministers will discuss with EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard the run-up to the UN's climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. (A.N./transl.fl)