Brussels, 17/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - On 10 July in Athens, Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of the Environment met up to discuss environmental issues in the Mediterranean area. Subject included water management, protection of the coastal zones, soil erosion, desertification, urban development problems and climate change. EU Environment Ministers and their Southern Mediterranean counterparts adopted a declaration underlining the need to strengthen their co-operation in the context of sustainable development. The Danish Minister currently chairing the EU Environment Council, Hans Christian Schmidt, stressed at the end of the meeting, the spirit of positive co-operation of the participants and the governments' commitments to attain this objective: "The region must do its best to make use of the experience from different programmes and projects established in the Mediterranean region and make synergy between these activities". Mr Schmidt suggested that Denmark and the Baltic countries transfer lessons that have been learned to the Mediterranean region (positive as well as negative) in the subject. Mr Schmidt concluded that, "It is my clear impression that among the Mediterranean countries there is a will to make Johannesburg a success".