EU Presidency Statement - Environment and Sustainable Development

Item 94: Environment and Sustainable Development

The EU reiterates its commitment to consolidate the course that has been set down at Johannesburg, through "positive actions" that derive from the conviction that the environment is one of the three mutually reinforcing pillars of sustainable development. The EU, as one of the largest economic areas in the world, is committed to developing its own potential as well as that of partner countries, for eco-efficient economies and improvements in the quality of life, through multilateral and bilateral cooperation between governments, the public and private sectors and civil society at large.

The EU therefore reiterates its availability for identifying strategies and mechanisms that are based upon and encourage the development of national capacities for environmental governance, the integration of environmental dimensions in development policies and programmes, and the development and diffusion of climate friendly, efficient and clean low carbon energy technologies, renewable energy technologies, good practices and environmentally sustainable processes.

The EU strategy for sustainable development is based upon a three-pronged strategy to achieve economic development and social cohesion in an environmentally friendly way. Improved competitiveness, strengthened redistribution of resources and the integration of environmental and social dimensions into sectoral policies. One of the principal main instruments of this strategy - the sustainability indicators - are being developed for European Council endorsement and approval in December 2003 to serve as criteria for the promotion of new production and consumption models, as well as gauges of economic growth and social development. The EU will also ensure that the strategy addresses external policies that can help deliver its international commitments on sustainable development.

Enhanced co-operation with and between the organizations of the United Nations system, and UNEP in particular, is paramount to strengthening national capacities for environmental governance.

94 (a): Promotion of New and Renewable Sources of Energy including the implementation of the World Solar Programme 1996 - 2005

As we all agreed at the Johannesburg Summit, the energy issue is at the very core of the development agenda. As conventional patterns of energy production and consumption based on fossil fuels are unsustainable, energy efficiency measures as well as the utilization of renewable energies are at the heart of sustainable development. Furthermore, as more than 2 billion people, the majority of them living in rural and suburban areas in the developing world, have no access to modern forms of energy services, the increased use of locally available renewable energy sources can, among others, contribute to the eradication of poverty.

With the aim of increasing the use of renewable energy sources as a key means of implementing the WSSD agreement, the EU is committed to increase and strengthen co-operation with developing countries, through supporting programmes that aim at ensuring the dissemination of energy efficient and environmentally sound technologies. The EU is making progress in implementing its Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development launched at Johannesburg, and looks forward to the "Energy for Africa" event in Nairobi, 20-21 November 2003, a dialogue between African and EU partners and stakeholders that will take forward the EU energy initiative. This initiative is aimed at improving access to energy for the poorest, on the basis of renewed energy policies at national and regional level, and by resorting to a sustainable mix of available technologies.

The EU believes that the International Conference on Renewable Energies, that will be held in Bonn from 1-4 June 2004, is an important initiative for setting a strong and firm policy framework with a clear vision on long-term commitments to the role of renewable energies, and for elaborating a concrete programme of actions to foster the diffusion of new and renewable energy technologies. The EU is preparing inputs for this conference through a series of events that will allow the announcement at the Conference on a set of additional targets for renewable energies, to develop concrete actions and to strengthen the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition.

Finally, the EU is satisfied with the decision of the Commission on Sustainable Development to address energy for sustainable development, air pollution/ atmosphere, climate change and industrial development as one thematic cluster in 2006-2007. We are hopeful that until that time the implementation of the JPOI will already have progressed and we are expecting that the utilization of renewable sources of energy will emerge as the leading theme.

The EU recognizes the efforts of UNEP, UNDP, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNDESA, GEF and other international institutions for the concrete actions taken and for progress achieved through the World Solar Programme 1996-2005 in the areas of policy making, project planning and implementation, information systems. The EU is encouraged by the positive response of Governments, bilateral and multilateral financing institutions and the private sector to the resource mobilization efforts of GEF, UNDESA, UNDP, UNEP and UNIDO in support of renewable energy projects and programmes, and by the launching by UNDP and the World Bank of the Global Village Energy Partnership that aims to creating and maintaining an effective mechanism for addressing energy-poverty needs and serves as a marketplace for information and best practices on the effective development and implementation of energy-poverty projects/programmes. Likewise with respect to policy and decision-making, the EU welcomes the UNEP launched Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development and other energy related initiatives, such as the Global Forum on Sustainable Energy.

94 (b): Implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa

The EU reiterates its continued commitment to foster our partnerships with affected countries in the fight against desertification. We are well aware that drylands are home to more than one billion people, whose living conditions are directly affected by desertification, and that poverty is both a cause and a consequence of land degradation. Action against desertification thus constitutes a vital requisite for poverty reduction and increased food security, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

The EU is pleased to confirm that it assigns great relevance to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought, Particularly in Africa as a fundamental tool for poverty eradication and sustainable development, as outlined in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. The sixth Conference of the Parties, held in Havana in August-September 2003 has put strong emphasis on the implementation phase, thereby marking an important step in the evolution of the world's effort to combat desertification and land degradation along with their interlinked growing social and economic challenges.

As we have expressed at the sixth Conference of the Parties, the EU is committed to take a number of measures to further the fight against desertification and drought, jointly with affected countries . The EU is convinced of the importance of mainstreaming the National Action Programmes into development policies and poverty reduction strategies, in the framework of integrated approaches called for by the Convention. This approach will optimize the use of financial resources and tackle coherently global environmental, social and economic challenges. The EU will therefore promote mainstreaming of initiatives to combat drought and desertification into national and regional policies and strategies, as well as the adoption of effective planning, implementing and monitoring approaches. To this end, the EU underscores the need to strengthen the socio-economic aspects of desertification for coherent integration of land issues and desertification in the general development frameworks.

Furthermore, the EU stresses the importance of synergies, including cooperation with the United Nations system and the international financial institutions. Likewise, the EU would welcome enhanced cooperation and coordination among implementing agencies, the three Rio Conventions and other relevant multilateral processes, and within the partnership agreements concluded between the EU and developing countries.

In this regards, we are committed to utilising the GEF, a most important and effective financial tool, in an efficient manner. To achieve this it will be necessary to establish a productive working relationship between the GEF and the executive bodies of the UNCCD.

Consistently with the concept of partnership, the development and environment dimensions of our fight against desertification are of global nature and can only be effectively tackled with the involvement of all levels of governmental, non-governmental and other stakeholders, including the private sector. The role of women, as well as secure and predictable land-tenure regimes cannot be overemphasised in this regard. The EU believes that civil society, including local communities and the private sector, has a key role to play in the implementation of the Convention, especially at local level. Thus it is committed to promote participation of all actors of civil society, and in particular the communities directly affected by drought and desertification.

The EU initiative "Fighting poverty through sustainable land use" announced during the 6th Conference of Parties held in Havana in September 2003 provides, we believe, a concrete way to implement the Convention, and reconfirms the EU commitment to cooperation with affected developing countries. The overall objective of the initiative is to increase the absorption capacity for investment in sustainable land use, under UNCCD, to make better use of the strategic potential of UNCCD for improving the livelihood of people in drylands and to better coordinate donors' projects and priorities. The process should be supported by partnership building - taking into account possible partnerships between public and private institutions.

94 (c): Convention on Biological Diversity

We welcome the offer of the Government of Malaysia to host the seventh Conference of the Parties in 2004, and look forward to the adoption of decisions that will facilitate the establishment of well managed and representative protected areas and ecological networks, so as to make progress in the achievement of the WSSD commitment to significantly reduce the current rate of loss of biological diversity by 2010. Furthermore, the EU will participate constructively in negotiations within the framework of the Convention on Biological Diversity, bearing in mind the Bonn guidelines, on an international regime to promote and safeguard the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources. The three objectives of the CBD - the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources - must be addressed in a coherent and balanced way.

The EU reconfirms its commitment to attain by 2010 a significant reduction in the current rate of biodiversity loss, as agreed by the Parties to the Convention at COP6 and reiterated by all at the Johannesburg Summit. Thus it takes great pleasure in marking the entering into force of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety on 11 September 2003. The EU strongly urges all countries that have not yet ratified the Convention and /or the Protocol to do so as soon as possible, so as to participate as full partners in the decision-making at the seventh Conference of the Parties of the Convention scheduled in Kuala Lumpur 9 - 20 February 2004 as well as at the first Meeting of the Parties of the Protocol scheduled in Kuala Lumpur, 23-27 February 2004.

The World Summit on Sustainable Development also reaffirmed that the Convention on Biological Diversity is the key instrument for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits, arising from the use of genetic resources. At COP 6 the significant reduction by the year 2010 in the rate of biodiversity loss was agreed as an overarching target for the Convention future work. We urge all Parties to the Convention to commit themselves to the highest degree possible to actions aiming at the attainment of this goal when gathered at the next Conference of the Parties taking place in Kuala Lumpur in February 2004.

The WSSD further highlighted the need to integrate the objectives of the Convention into global, regional and national sectoral and cross-sectoral programmes and policies, in recognition of the fact that conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity are preconditions for sustainable development and poverty reduction. In this regard, the EU notes with satisfaction the progress that has been achieved by the work of the Secretariat of the Convention in several key aspects.

The recently completed Multi-year Programme of Work of the Conference of the Parties constitutes an important instrument in the transition from policy-making to implementation. The issue of island biodiversity, to be taken up by the eighth Conference of the Parties, is a welcome addition to the programme of work. Furthermore, the EU welcomes the outcome of the London International Meeting on: "2010 - The Global Biodiversity Challenge" which addresses ways to achieve the 2010 target, in particular the approach taken on the issue of measuring biodiversity gains or losses on a global scale in a coherent manner, so as to allow better assessment of progress towards the 2010 target. We urge the Global Environmental Facility as well as existing funding mechanisms to continue to provide support for capacity building initiatives.

Finally, the EU welcomes the London Meeting recommendation that linkages between biodiversity and poverty reduction must be greatly highlighted, as well as the need to incorporate biodiversity targets into development policies, strategies and action plans, at the national, regional and international level. In this regard, the EU notes with satisfaction the cooperation efforts between the Convention and the Commission on Sustainable Development, the synergies that are being promoted among the Rio Conventions, and initiatives undertaken by the Secretariat of the Biodiversity Convention with WTO, WIPO, and other leading UN bodies.

94 (d): Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States

The EU welcomes the efforts made at all levels to implement the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States, in particular the establishment by the Secretary General of an Inter-Agency Task Force charged with the preparation of the international meeting that will review implementation of the Programme of Action, to be held in Mauritius in 2004.

In this regard, the EU is encouraged by the energetic approach Small Island Developing States have taken in assessing BPOA implementation and validating the basic tenets of the Plan in the light of the Millennium Goals and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. The regional preparatory meetings held to date are providing an invaluable body of information and practical recommendations that are paving the way for a very productive international meeting in Mauritius. While the focus of the current preparatory efforts is on issues concerning national implementation of BPOA, the regional meetings also afford the Small Island Developing States the opportunity for identifying further individual and regional priority areas, as well as exchanging information on coordination strategies. Furthermore, cooperation through partnerships generated at Johannesburg offer a solid basis for mobilizing the United Nations system and the wider international community in support of the SIDS agenda.

In particular, the EU supports the approach as it emerges from the regional consultations held so far to focus on the Millennium Development Goals, the integration of sustainable development principles into national and regional policies, strategies and programmes; poverty eradication; the halting and reversing of the spread of major diseases; and on their relevance and connection with the basic tenets of BPOA.

At the discussion on Small Island Developing States that was held during the eleventh session of the Commission on Sustainable Development, the special condition of SIDS vis a vis environmental and development issues was reiterated. The EU shares the reaffirmed concerns and is convinced that the Commission is the most appropriate high-level policy forum for the preparation of the international debate on these issues. The EU therefore encourages the Commission to continue taking a leadership role in matters of priority importance to the Small Island Developing States.

94 (e): International Strategy for Disaster Reduction

Over the first half of 2003, thousands of human lives were lost and great economic damages resulted from natural disasters such as floods, storms, wildfires, droughts, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The consolidation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is the essential instrument to reduce the risk of and vulnerability to natural hazards and related environmental and technological disasters. In this framework, the EU welcomes the efforts carried out by numerous international actors guided by the Task Force and the Secretariat of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction and encourages them to strengthen their role of mainstreaming risk reduction into development policies and process.

In line with the International Year of Freshwater, the Secretariat launched the 2003 World Disaster Reduction Campaign to highlight the importance of reducing the impact of water-related hazards, which culminated in the International Day for Disaster Reduction on 8 October. We hope that this initiative will serve to raise awareness among decision-makers and the public that still much has to be done in disaster prevention, preparedness and mitigation, more than in disaster relief.

The European Union finally welcomes the new contributions made by several countries and by the World Bank to the Trust Fund for Disaster Reduction, although it must be noted that financial constraints still exist. Therefore we encourage Member States to provide resources in order for the Task Force and the Strategy Secretariat to cover their core requirements and carry out their mandate.

94 (f): Protection of the global climate for present and future generations of mankind

The EU recognizes that climate change is a global challenge and requires a comprehensive and global response. The Kyoto Protocol represents the first step towards meeting this challenge and has the full commitment of the EU. The EU leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the global climate system underlines the determination of the EU and its Member States to respect their commitments under the United Nations Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, as soon as it enters into force, and to demonstrate progress by 2005. To this end the EU, while responding to energy demands, is working towards the unification of its environmental and energy strategies and the integration of sectoral policies, so as it can pursue energy security and carbon emission reduction as a single goal.

The EU underlines the importance of the entering into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The full utilization by the EU of the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms - Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism - will afford the emerging economies the utilization of modern technologies while producing significant reductions in carbon emissions at the global level at reasonable costs.

The EU calls on all Parties to the Convention that have not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol to do so as soon as possible and allow its entry into force. The EU acknowledges that a prompt ratification by the Russian Federation of the Kyoto Protocol will bring a new wave of fruitful co-operation between EU and Russia in environmental protection and energy. In order to foster the process, the EU recognizes the need to promote actions towards a rapid ratification by the Russian Federation.
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The EU supports the work of the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), as it provides authoritative and balanced assessments of all scientific information that is relevant to developing the response to climate change, including the achievement of the ultimate objective of UNFCCC. The EU welcomes the decision of IPCC to prepare a Fourth Assessment Report and considers that the strength of the IPCC is its ability to provide scientific assessments that are relevant for policy-making. The Synthesis Report of the Third Assessment Report is particularly helpful in this regard, and the EU urges the IPCC to prepare a synthesis of the Fourth Assessment Report.

The EU confirms its commitment to increasing co-operation with developing countries, in particular to strengthening international scientific and technological cooperation, so as to promote the development and dissemination of innovative energy efficient and environmentally sustainable energy technologies. The EU also reiterates the importance of giving high priority to the issue of adaptation to the adverse effects of climate change, in addition to mitigation, in recognition of the fact that developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and the Small Island Developing States are more vulnerable to climate change and adaptation is critical for them.

The EU is looking forward to the upcoming ninth Conferences of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that has to facilitate the entry into force and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. The EU is also looking forward to a discussion on other pertinent long-term issues, including the issue of stabilizing CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere by the end of the century.

94(g): Sustainable Mountain Development

Mountains constitute 25% of the Earth's land-surface and provide, together with their peripheral areas, a habitat for 26% of the world's population. Although they have a high economic potential, for example in terms of water resources and tourism, most mountain regions are politically and economically marginalized and mountain population are at a clear disadvantage in comparison with other regions. Mountain eco-systems are particularly fragile and vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. Because of these unique characteristics of mountain environments, sustainable development in mountain regions requires different and specific strategies, taking into account the protection of the existing values.

We note with appreciation the efforts made at all levels during the International Year of Mountains in 2002, which allowed an increased global awareness of how important mountains are to life. In particular we appreciate the work of FAO, which implemented a comprehensive communications programme and supported the establishment of national committees in 78 countries that are now actively promoting sustainable development in mountain regions.

Now the International Year of Mountains is over but the challenges facing mountain environments and mountain people certainly remain for years to come. The European Union supports the strengthening of mountain women's right to resources and their role in their communities and culture, and encourages the development of further mountain-related national committees. Furthermore, it favours the implementation of national strategic plans for the sustainable development of the mountain regions in the framework of the Bishkek Mountain Platform. We welcome also the strengthening of alliances through the creation of the International Partnership for Sustainable Development in Mountain Regions and the positive outcome of the First Global Meeting of Members of the Mountain Partnership that was held in Merano at the beginning of October 2003. The EU looks forward to the next Meeting of the Members of the Partnership that will take place in Peru in 2004.

Finally, we encourage donors and United Nations mechanisms, such as the Global Environment Facility, as well as the private sector to invest in sustainable development of mountain regions and in the conservation of mountain ecosystem.

Item 95: Implementation of Agenda 21, the programme for further Implementation of Agenda 21 and the outcome of the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

The EU attaches great importance to the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The results of the WSSD have already been reflected in the Union's overall strategy for sustainable development, namely, social development, economic development and environmental protection. The EU is fully committed to implement the Rio and the Johannesburg Declarations on Sustainable Development, Agenda 21 and the Plan of Implementation and stresses its commitment to ensuring demonstrable progress towards sustainable development globally and in the EU region.

The EU agrees with the Secretary-General that the Johannesburg Summit represents the beginning of a common journey and recognizes that the impact of member states efforts shall be optimized by the support of the UN system, the international financial institutions, including the Bretton Woods Institutions and other institutional actors, acting in the spirit established at Monterrey and other international Conferences in a coordinated way.

In this context, the EU recognizes the efforts of the organizations of the United Nations system, including UNDP, UNEP and the five regional commissions, in stepping up efforts to integrate the objectives of Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation into their programme activities.

UNDP has a major contribution to make on poverty/environmental linkages, capacity building and country reporting. UNEP has a vital, catalytic role to play, given its mandate and experience, not only at global level on issues such as strategic chemicals management and the environmental dimension of integrated water management, but also in helping governments of developing countries to develop and establish national legislation and national and regional policies to deal with environmental challenges issues. The EU is committed to strengthen international environmental governance, which could lead to the upgrading of UNEP into a specialized UN agency with a broadly-based mandate on environmental matters. The need for full coordination and rationalization of these activities within the United Nations is increasingly evident, and the EU continues to be committed to working for the integration of long-term sustainable development goals into policies, country and regional frameworks and operational guidelines of appropriate international bodies.

The Commission on Sustainable Development plays a central role in the implementation of the decisions taken at Johannesburg, The EU welcomes the concept of a two-year work cycle adopted by the CSD 11 and its multi-year programme of work for the period after 2003. The three themes on which the Commission will focus during the next 2004-2005 cycle - water, sanitation and human settlements - are important EU sustainable development priorities and are supported by the EU partnership initiative on water that was launched in support of the WSSD Plan of Implementation. The EU therefore looks forward to working closely with the Commission in the implementation of the selected themes.

As it was made evident at Johannesburg, there is a nexus between poverty and environment, which resulted in the recognition that the sustainable use and management of land and water resources is an important tool to address poverty eradication. With the Water for Life initiative, the EU confirms its determination to deliver on the commitments made in Johannesburg. The EU-African strategic partnership and the partnership agreed between EU and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia countries provide the political basis for concrete action to contribute to poverty reduction, sustainable economic development, peace and security. Regional and national level dialogue and development of initiative components are now underway, with the aim to reinforce political commitment, ownership and to raise the profile of water and sanitation in national strategies. We welcome the Dushanbe Water Appeal adopted at the International Freshwater Forum held in Tajikistan last September, which further raised awareness for freshwater problems and the urgent need for their resolution.

The EU attaches high priority to the Johannesburg target to develop integrated water resources management and water efficiency plans by 2005, with support to developing countries. Here we want to stress that ownership by partner countries of national water strategies is essential to achieve positive results.

Another overarching objective of our efforts towards achieving sustainable development is to change unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. In this context, we welcome the Marrakech process on sustainable consumption and production, with its mapping out a 10-year framework of programmes as it is called for in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and the turning of international commitments on sustainable behavior into reality. The EU shares the global effort to change current unsustainable patterns of production and consumption and encourages a closer co-operation between governments and other stakeholders, especially in the business sector and in civil society at large. The Marrakech process clearly shows that all countries can benefit from improving consumption and production patterns. As it also requires increased north-south, south-south and east-west cooperation, the EU is very pleased that this process has begun and will continue with increased strength and concrete actions.

The EU welcomes the new action oriented approach on partnership initiatives launched in Johannesburg. In our view, partnership initiatives can be a most important vehicle for advancing sustainable development, involving governments, civil society and business sector in contributing to the implementation of the outcomes of Johannesburg. The EU is therefore encouraged by the considerable number of partnerships that have registered with DESA, and invites all countries and stakeholders to participate in the further development of partnerships in support of the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, and invites all interested parties to take advantage of the initiative of the Government of Italy to host and organize in collaboration with UN/DESA the "International Forum on Partnerships for Sustainable Development" to be held in Rome, Italy, March 4 - 6, 2004.

Item 101: Implementation of the outcome of the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT II) and the twenty-fifth special session of the General Assembly

The EU attaches great importance to the outcome of the transition of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to a fully fledged Programme with strategic objectives consistent with the Millennium Development Goals and in the mainstream of the United Nations development agenda. In fact, progress has been achieved in several areas, such as the revitalization of the Habitat and Human Settlements Foundation, making international partnerships more effective, empowering partners to implement their initiatives, and working more closely with the United Nations and other international agencies. The collaboration between UN-Habitat and the Commission on Sustainable Development in preparation of CSD12 and 13, under which the UN-Habitat will fulfill the responsibility of task manager for the drafting of the scoping paper on human settlements and will contribute to the papers on water and sanitation, is an excellent example of this approach, which the EU is confident will greatly enhance the UN system capability to meet the Millennium Development Goals.

The EU welcomes the recent increases in financial support for UN-Habitat, from EU members and other countries, as well as the developing collaboration between UN-Habitat and international financial institutions, notably the World Bank Group and the Asian Development Bank. Furthermore, the EU encourages UN-Habitat to continue developing innovative partnerships with the private sector, NGOs and the public sector, so as to widen the range of services to the people of member States and improve the quality of life of slum dwellers, as well as of poor settlers at large.

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• EU Presidency Statement - Environment and Sustainable Development (16/10/2003)
• EU Presidency Statement - Sustainable Development and International Economic Cooperation (14/10/2003)
• EU Presidency Statement - Commission on Sustainable Development (24/2/2003)
• EU Presidency Statement - Environment and sustainable development (21/10/2002)
• EU Presidency Statement - Sustainable development (17/10/2002)