EU reaffirms commitment to reach global deal at WSSD

The European Union (EU) today welcomed the progress achieved at the World Sustainable Development Summit in Johannesburg towards a global deal between North and South to eradicate poverty and protect the environment, and reaffirmed its commitment to reach an overall agreement.

Danish Prime Minister and current EU President Anders Fogh Rasmussen said: "The documents coming out of Johannesburg will have a lot of targets and good intentions, although we still have to resolve the issue of making energy more sustainable. The EU has been driving the issues and we can be satisfied. But the most important thing to stress is that now is the time to act. Johannesburg should be remembered as the summit of action."

European Commission President Romano Prodi said: "We are here in Johannesburg to forge a fresh pact between North and South on the basis of trust and our shared goal of sustainable development. This pact is about growth, development, sustainability and solidarity. The increasing divide between North and South must become our new frontier, our new challenge. We got rid of a wall in Europe. We cannot accept another wall which cuts the world in two."

Mr. Prodi also issued a solemn appeal to President Putin for Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change as soon as possible so that the Protocol can enter into force.

Prime Minister Rasmussen said the key elements of the EU's call for a global deal were increasing aid and trade between the developed and the developing world, good governance and improving the environment.

He added: "Let us make a deal which provides the developing countries with better opportunities and our environment with a better protection. Let us make a deal which could replace despair and darkness with hope and light for hundreds of millions of people."

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• The World Summit on Sustainable Development (16/9/2002)
• President Prodi's Statement on sustainable development (12/9/2002)
• Commissioner Wallström's Speech on results of WSSD (11/9/2002)
• Now we must turn WSSD agreement into concrete results (4/9/2002)
• EU launches coalition at WSSD to deliver renewable energy goals  (3/9/2002)
• EU launches global initiative to achieve World Summit goals (3/9/2002)
• President Prodi Speech on North-South Pact at WSSD (2/9/2002)
• EU Presidency Statement - WSSD (2/9/2002)
• EU launches major energy partnership initiative at WSSD  (1/9/2002)
• EU stresses commitment to combat illegal logging at WSSD (31/8/2002)
• EU: New momentum needed to reach WSSD results (30/8/2002)
• Commissioner Fischler welcomes WSSD agreement to prevent overfishing  (29/8/2002)
• EU: Use partnerships to implement WSSD commitments, not avoid them (29/8/2002)
• Targets with timetables vital for ensuring WSSD commitments are kept (26/8/2002)
• EU: Promising start of World Summit negotiations (25/8/2002)
• Statement by Commissioner Poul Nielson on the WSSD (25/8/2002)
• President Prodi's statement at the 55th UNGA. The Millennium Summit (8/9/2000)