Brussels, 10/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - "Bridging the gap between the results of research and environmental policy" is the theme of the international conference that is presently taking place in Stockholm (9/11 May) to improve the contribution made by the scientific Community to the sustainable development policy implemented by the EU. The participants in this conference, jointly organised by the Swedish Council Presidency, the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA), is studying ways in which to shorten the time that separates the making available of necessary scientific data, and decision-making at the political level.
"I want to make sustainability a trademark of the European Research area", stated Philippe Busquin, European Commission for Research, at the opening of the conference. The proposal for the sixth framework research and technological development programme (presently on the table of the Council and Parliament) makes sustainability a priority for the production of knowledge and technologies, in particular in the field of transport, energy and mobility, by placing emphasis on the networking of all the European research teams, added the Commissioner. According to him, research already serves the aims of sustainable development in that it allows, for example, to reduce the consumption of water, to increase the productivity of water in the paper industry, to provide assessment methods for the costs of various fuel cycles, as well as analyses allowing to understand the phenomenon of climate change and try to react to it.
On behalf of the Council Presidency, Kjell Larsson, Swedish Environment Minister, underlined the importance that can be played by the 6th framework research and development programme in the achievement of the aims pursued by the sixth action programme for the environment if we form links between these two instruments.
Margot Wallström, European Commissioner for the Environment, called on the scientific community to centre its research efforts on the unsustainable trends in order to: a) fight against climate change; b) effectively manage natural resources; c) tackle the problems of health and the financing of health care; d) develop land use and transport that allows for sustainable mobility; e) fight against social exclusion and poverty; f) resolve the problems linked to the ageing population. These areas of action, identified by the Commission as priorities, will constitute the backbone of the strategy for sustainable development that will be submitted for the approval of the EU 15 Heads of State and Government during the Gothenburg European Council (15-16 June). Bendrich Moldan, President of the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development placed emphasis on the potential contribution of the accession candidate countries, to the sustainable development of the Union, due to their often-intact biodiversity.