Brussels, 20/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have decided to strengthen their cooperation to fight global threats to the environment more effectively and to facilitate implementation of the commitments made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002). Their decision is officially set out in a memorandum of understanding that Klaus Töpfer, UNEP Director General, and Margot Wallström, Environment Commissioner, signed together on Monday before the press in Brussels.
The memorandum of understanding establishes a framework for structured and more systematic cooperation between the two institutions on the basis of regular meetings at senior and expert level, strategic policy discussions and financial cooperation. The latter will initially have two aims: encouraging sustainable methods of production and consumption, and curbing the trend to reduce biodiversity. The two institutions, however, reserve the right to extend their scope.
In order to keep up to date with UNEP daily activities, the Commission has decided to place a senior official in secondment with its delegation in Nairobi (Kenya), where the seat of UNEP is located.
Margot Wallström, who is convinced strengthened cooperation between UNEP and the Commission will make it possible to improve international government in environmental matters and facilitate implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, said the memorandum of understanding inaugurates closer collaboration on all global issues - sustainable production and consumption, but also aid to developing countries and to transition countries in environmental and sustainable development areas, trade, implementation of multilateral environmental agreements, as well as generalised access to drinking water and sanitation, and renewable energy resources. Klaus Töpfer, for his part, sees the agreement as an "additional signal for giving the environment a high profile" on the international agenda by putting the EU's leading role in this field to advantage. Although the task is difficult, it is, he believes, essential to help developing countries to achieve sustainable development. "Our watchword is environment for development. The environment must be an instrument for development", he said.