Summary: April 14, 2005: Speech by Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy, on 'Sustainable Development - A Core Objective of the European Union', at the Stakeholder Forum on Sustainable Development (Brussels)
Thanks Mrs. Sigmund,
ladies and gentlemen,
I am very pleased to open this Forum on sustainable development today, because this subject is one of the closest to my heart, as some of you probably know.
When I was young (or when my parents were young) - I mean very young - the year 2000 was a magic year that triggered a lot of imagination.
In newspapers and magazines intriguing stories were published about our future life. Art directors made fascinating pictures and drawings of fast cars on broad highways, suspended between skyscrapers and colossal architecture, against a background of huge factories with smoky chimneys.
In those days the popular perception of the future was very rosy. In the long run man could achieve whatever he wanted. The sky was the limit.
Many years have past since then. The year 2000 is already history. Many of the predictions about the future have become reality, but I it is safe to say that in the mean time our attitude towards the future has changed. We are back to the future.
Scientists started long ago to warn us about very worrying trends, such as climate change, biodiversity losses, resource scarcity, water and air pollution, and so on. Over time, increasing evidence has been collected that our production and consumption patterns are not sustainable, simply because they impinge on the rights of future generation and of the rest of the world.
Sustainable development is perhaps the most compelling challenge of our time and I can think of no better theme for discussion with European citizens and stakeholders.
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Sustainable development has become a core issue on the world's political agenda, and is a top priority for the European Union. With Europe facing rising un-employment and low growth rates in many countries our immediate concern has been the re launch of the Lisbon strategy. But as the European Council confirmed - Lisbon has to be seen within the wider context of sustainable development.
The decisions we make today will determine how we live tomorrow. It is vital therefore that as we grow and develop our society we find the right way forward to also tackle climate change, natural resource shortages, transport congestion and world poverty - to name but a few of the many challenges we face.
This conference is timely. The Commission adopted its orientations for the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy in February and the European Council has called for a new and more ambitious European Strategy for Sustainable Development by the end of this year. It has also called for a declaration of guiding principles for sustainable development.
We are therefore at the very beginning of the road. To do a good job we need YOUR input and your ideas.
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As former Commissioner for the environment I took active part in shaping the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy in 2001. Improving communication with citizens is a central part of my present job. This forum gives me an excellent opportunity to combine my old and new job - communicating with citizens and stakeholders about the sustainable development strategy.
This forum is mainly about us listening to what you have to say. Therefore, it fits very well with the Commission's new approach to communication with citizens and stakeholders. In the past the Commission has often been perceived as telling audiences what it thought and what it was doing. But we were less good at listening to what people said they wanted from us. This Commission wants the top down approach of communication to be reversed.
An important part of our better regulation policy is the use of consultations which allow everybody to give their opinion. The public consultation on the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy organised last autumn - for example - was a success! We received 1.100 contributions. You can find the summary of the consultation on our website.
Finally, a word about the stakeholders' role in the implementation of policies. Changes to our economy, social security systems, and our environment will be accepted and implemented more easily and also better if stakeholders have been involved from the outset. Civil society and market players are crucial when it comes to the delivery of the policies we initiated.
So, again, I'm very happy to have the opportunity to discuss with you where we stand with the current Sustainable Development Strategy and what we need to do in this year's review.
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The 2001 European Sustainable Development Strategy identified a number of key unsustainable trends. Both the Community and Member States have taken actions to address those trends, but there is a long way to go before we can say that we have made a real change.
On climate change we have made significant progress with the adoption of the Kyoto protocol and implementation through the European emissions trading scheme. But we also know that this is only a first step on a road which becomes more and more uphill.
We have proposed a new regulatory framework for chemicals (REACH), but we are well aware of the difficulties we face with this proposal and we know how much there is still to do to tackle a number of threats to human health.
I could mention many other important initiatives we have taken over the last five years, such as the CAP reform, the fisheries reform, the energy initiatives, the action plan on environmental technologies, but when we look at real impacts on current trends I would say that there is little reason for complacency.
In other words, despite our many genuine and also successful efforts, there are serious challenges ahead. And we need a comprehensive programme of actions to address them.
How shall we do that? I must admit that, at this point there are still more questions than answers and we look forward to your active input to the review. To start the discussions off, I will briefly outline some of the big ticket questions the Commission highlighted in its February Communication.
This - with a broad brush - is what the Commission thought would be important to get right in the new strategy.
First, to clarify priority actions for the Community and Member States that effectively could curb the unsustainable trends. What should our priorities be? Do we need to update the list we draw five years ago? Should we, for example, add security as a new trend? Within each of the areas we had identified we also need to ask - where should our focus be? For example, within the public Health domain is the fight against the new life style diseases more important than the fight against
antibiotic resistance? The external dimension should be fully integrated into the strategy - but what are the key challenges there, and how should we do that most effectively?
Second, to design effective monitoring mechanisms based on clear objectives, targets and milestones. Delivery is now crucial. We have to translate our commitments into concrete, targeted actions. Therefore, we must set clearer headline goals and milestones in time. We also want to increase the use of impact assessment for greater policy cohesion. What do you think can be done to improve delivery - are there mechanisms and ways we have not thought of? What kind of targets should we set?
Should they be quantitative - qualitative? How should we monitor progress?
Third, - closely related to the point of delivery is the need to look at governance. What is the interaction between international obligations and commitments, the Strategy of the Union and the actions of Member States and regional bodies? The first version of the strategy was not clear on the relationship between the different layers and actors - this now needs to be addressed. Here we may also learn from the recent mid term review of the Lisbon Strategy. We need to knit all our efforts
together in order to become more effective and successful. How do you see the relationship between the Union and your own country, regional body, enterprise or organisation working?
Finally, ownership. There is no success without ownership. This strategy can only achieve its objectives if we all work together. It is not a question of 'what the sustainable development strategy can do for you but what you can do for the sustainable development strategy'. What are your suggestions for increasing ownership? How can we make this strategy live and thrive in the next 5 - 10 -15 years?
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Ladies and gentleman, this Forum is not a Commissioners Forum, but a Stakeholder Forum. So, I don't want to talk too long. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Sigmund for organising this conference and for all the work that has gone into the preparations. Besides, Mr. Kay Walter has invited me to take part in his talk show. I simply wanted to share these observations with you in order to trigger the discussion.
Sustainable development is about concrete action for our children's future. I hope that in 25 years, when they look back at 2005, our children will say that Europe did take action to stop ecological degradation and to improve living conditions on this planet. The Sustainable Development Strategy plays a key role. We need a long term vision about where we want to go from here. And we need to act now. Your views and opinions can help shape the new Strategy, to make it more effective, to make it
succeed.
Thank you.
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