Luxembourg, 17/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the Foreign Ministers of the Fifteen confirmed the stance that the EU will defend at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 26 August - 4 September). The conclusions, adopted unanimously by the General Affairs Council endorse the common approach defined by the Development Ministers on 30 May (see EUROPE of 1 June, p.10) and will be submitted for the endorsement of Heads of State and Government at the European Council of Seville. Taking on board the goals and priority actions set out by the Development Council - including the "need to improve coherence between the Union's internal and external policies, as well as the Communities' sectoral policies, and to encourage the reform of subsidies "that have considerable negative effects on the environment and are incompatible with sustainable development" - ministers integrated the results of the last preparatory meeting for the Summit (Bali Conference), the conclusions of the EcoFin Council of 4 March and the results of the Second World Food Summit which has just been held in Rome (see EUROPE of 14 June, p..). Thus, they reiterate the Union's determination to, on the one hand, play a leading role in the process aimed at a comprehensive agreement that rests on the Doha Development Agenda, on the Monterrey Consensus (substantial increase on world flows of public aid for development) and the final declaration of the World Food Summit, and, on the other hand, to guarantee that Johannesburg leads to a political declaration, an action plan and voluntary partnership agreements to implement the political undertakings. They stress that the action plan, to be finalised in Johannesburg as this could not be achieved in Bali, should not only be coherent in terms of working programmes, goals and timetables, and means of implementation, but also contain a firm commitment to the respect of human rights and cultural diversity. The conclusions also place emphasis on the importance of enhancing "governance" at all levels, and especially "environmental governance at international level", notably concerning water cleansing infrastructures, renewable energy, exhaustion of natural resources, the tendency to the depletion of fish stocks, the destruction of bio-diversity, and chemical products. The Council considers that globalisation should be the subject of a specific chapter in Johannesburg and dealt with in a way that serves sustainable development and offer benefits to all, especially the poorest.