Brussels, 06/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union's preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (South Africa, 2002) has just entered its operational phase. A communication that the Commission adopted on Tuesday on the joint initiative of Commissioners Margot Wallstrom (environment) and Poul Nielson (Development, humanitarian aid) identifies the Union's priorities and measurers to take to play a key-role and contribute to the success of an event that will mark the tenth anniversary of the first Earth Summit (Rio 1992).
The strategic priorities are as follows: 1) greater fairness at world level and an effective partnership for sustainable development; 2) better integration of the environment and development at international level; 3) definition of objectives regarding the environment and development so as to revitalise and strengthen the Rio Process; 4) adoption of more effective measures at national level and creation of control mechanisms.
To attain these goals, the Commission has come up with four lines of action that it considers should guide the Summit's work, these are: - protecting natural resources that lie at the root of economic development, striving for the promotion of eco-efficiency, the sustainable use of water, land and energy; - integrate the environment and the eradication of poverty (break the vicious circle of poverty and environmental degradation by a new more integrated and coherent approach to the development aims agreed upon in the framework of the United Nations); - improve the governance and participation of all in sustainable development by strengthening the institutional and legal framework, and by favouring the role of civil society.
In a press release, Margot Wallström announced "it is important that the European Union creates a dynamic and maps the path to follow in the preparation of the agenda. Ten years after the crucial Rio summit, expectations have not been met. The pressures on the environment have worsened, and poverty continues to win ground in the world. We must redouble our efforts now to be sure that next year's world summit is up to the challenge that is sustainable globalisation." Poul Nielson, for his part, emphasises the stake of the event by stating: "we must reaffirm that the fight against poverty and the fight against environmental degradation are two aspects of the same fight in which the increase of development aid in a necessary branch."
The more detailed assessment of the implementation of Article 2 in the Union and the progress achieved on the path to sustainable development will be the object of a up-coming document from the Commission, to guide the work of civil society in the course of the year.