Sumario: Sustainable Development Strategy: EU Commission presents new platform (13 December 2005: Brussels)
The European Commission's review of the EU's Sustainable Development Strategy calls on all governments, businesses, NGOs and citizens to come up with new and better ways to move towards a more sustainable way of life and seize the opportunities available. Published today, the review reiterates the Commission's commitment to continue to play a key part in achieving change whilst setting out further concrete actions for the coming years.
Commission President Jose-Manuel Barroso said: "We want to stimulate real action to give our children and grand-children a more prosperous, cleaner and fairer world. Europe needs to set an example for the rest of the world. That's in our own interest, not only because it will improve our quality of life but also because economies that adapt fastest to embrace sustainable production methods and new environmental technologies will be at a big competitive advantage."
The Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS):
• provides a platform for action for business leaders, regional and local authorities, NGOs, academia and citizens' organisations - who, together, can make change happen;
• identifies key issues such as climate change and energy efficiency where action needs to be speeded up;
• makes links between how EU polices affect sustainability in third countries and vice-versa;
• is a starting point for ensuring that the EU institutions and Member States work in an effective partnership to achieve change, measuring progress and regularly reviewing priorities.
The Review explores "inter-linkages", in other words how progress in one area can produce positive spin-offs in others. For example, action on sustainable energy can help improve security of energy supply, reduce climate change and local air pollution, reduce poverty and improve security, while promoting rural and local development. It also covers the central role of research and development as well as education and the need for more "joined up" decision making.
The Review aims to mobilise all those who have the capacity to bring about change on the ground. For example, many businesses large and small already take sustainability very seriously indeed. They are asked to continue showing the way to others and offered a consultative role along with other stakeholders such as the social partners in implementing the strategy.
To "kick-start" progress, a number of specific initiatives are proposed. Examples include:
• a series of measures to encourage the development of products and processes for the future, such as cleaner and more efficient cars, information and communication technologies, the use of renewable energy sources and hydrogen. These measures include investment in research and technology development and better regulation;
• working with other countries towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions beyond commitments already made up to 2012;
• an energy efficiency action plan to help realise the potential for 20% savings, for example, in buildings Europe wide.
• reviewing the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme to consider its extension, for example to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from aviation and maritime transport;
• improving the coordination and delivery of development aid and strengthening our leadership on global sustainable development.
SDS builds on and reinforces existing policies. For example, the EU has already put in place a range of initiatives to combat climate change, including a flexible trading system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability impact assessments are now undertaken for all major European Commission policy proposals.
The Commission will submit a progress report every two years. A first report with the latest statistical information accompanies this Communication (see annex).
View full review at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/sustainable/index_en.htm
See also MEMO/05/477 - frequently asked questions and answers
Statistical annex
Most of the figures quoted below can also be found in the Eurostat progress report 'Measuring progress towards a more sustainable Europe'.
Climate change and clean energy. Between 2000 and 2003, EU-15 greenhouse gas emissions increased at an average rate of 0.6% per year, against an average annual decrease of 0.6% needed to stay on the 2008-2012 Kyoto target path. This new increasing trend comes after significant reductions between 1990 and 2000.
Between 2000 and 2003, the share of renewable electricity in gross electricity consumption in EU-25 fell from 13.7% to 12.7%, which is far from the 2010 target of 21% set in the Treaty of Accession.
Promoting public health. From 2000 to 2002, resistance to erythromycin increased in 10 out of the 15 EU-25 countries for which data were available. The production of toxic chemicals in EU-15 has more or less stabilised, after peaking in 2000. However, the production of the most dangerous group (carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic chemicals) has grown by 3.4% per year, whilst the least harmful category has shrunk by 4.3% per year since 2000.
Social exclusion, demography and migration. Available data show no significant improvement in the relative risk of poverty for most EU-15 countries between 2000 and 2003, although a 2001 methodological change makes comparison over time difficult. The risk-of-poverty rate had decreased over the period 1995 to 2000.
The life expectancy of persons at the age of 65 is continuing to increase. It is accompanied by persistently low fertility rates. Even if immigration has become the major driving force of population growth over recent years, the age structure of immigrants tempers any influence on the ageing of the population. The old-age dependency ratio is projected to double between 2004 and 2050, when there will be one person aged 65 or over for every two persons aged between 15 and 64. An ever-smaller working age population will have to support an ever-greater number of pensioners.
Management of natural resources. A considerable proportion of the catch in EU-managed waters is made from stocks that are already below their safe biological limits. Fishing at the present rate seriously impairs the ability of these stocks to regenerate themselves and risks their collapse. Trends are especially worrisome for demersal fish such as cod and hake.
Bird populations appear to have stabilised during the 1990s, although at a lower level than in the previous decades. The index of farmland bird population trends decreased by 3.8 points between 2000 and 2003, although it is too soon to know whether this represents a longer term trend towards a continuing decrease of bird populations.
Sustainable transport. The index of freight transport relative to GDP increased from 100.4 in 2000 to 104.6 in 2004. The growing demand for transport has not been offset by the significant improvements in engine efficiency and vehicle design over the last 35 years, and energy consumption by transport still grows in line with GDP.
Global poverty and development. According to the World Bank[1], more than one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. In its fight against world poverty, the EU-15 increased its Official Development Assistance from 0.32 to 0.35% of gross national income per year on average between 2000 and 2003. The EU is thus on track to achieving its commitment to reach an EU average of 0.39% of gross national income by the year 2006.
Economic development. Strong economic performance is essential for sustainable development. The Union's economy grew at a relatively rapid pace in the second half of the 1990s. However, in response to a series of economic and other shocks between mid-2000 and mid-2003, economic activity was rather sluggish in the first three years following 2000.
Supporting statistics (Data for EU-25)
|
Indicators
|
1995
|
2000
|
Latest year available
|
Best performing country [2]
|
|
Greenhouse gas emissions [3] (Kyoto base year=100)
|
92.1
|
90.5
|
92 (2003)
|
LV (41.5)
|
|
Share of renewable energy [4] (% of gross national electricity consumption)
|
12.8
|
13.7
|
12.7 (2003)
|
AT (53.4)
|
|
156.6
|
176.2
|
175.1 (2003)
|
:
|
|
|
At-risk of poverty rate 4, [7](%)
|
17
|
15
|
16 (2001)
|
SE (9)
|
|
Old-age dependency ratio (%) [8]
|
22.1
|
23.4
|
24.5 (2004)
|
SK (16.3)
|
|
Inwards migration [9] (number of persons)
|
732.7
|
993.2
|
1852.3 [10]
|
ES (610.1) 9
|
|
Life expectancy at 65 4, [11] (number of years) (M)
(F)
|
15.3
19.1 |
15.9
19.8 |
16.3 (2002)
19.9 (2002) |
FR (17.1) (M)
(21.4) (F) |
|
Fertility rate [12] (number of children per woman)
|
1.44
|
1.48
|
1.5 (2004)
|
IE (1.99)
|
|
Fish catches from stocks outside 'safe biological limits' [13] (%)
|
10
|
10
|
22 (2003)
|
:
|
|
Farmland bird index [14] (2000=100)
|
102.9
|
100
|
96.2 (2003)
|
:
|
|
Volume of freight transport [15] (1995=100)
|
100
|
100.4
|
104.6 (2004)
|
SK (47.4)
|
|
Energy consumption of transport [16] (1995=100)
|
100
|
133.2
|
116.8 (2003)
|
MT (98.3)
|
|
Official Development Assistance 4, [17] (% of gross national income)
|
0.37
|
0.32
|
0.35 (2003)
|
DK (0.84)
|
|
Gross Domestic Product at constant 1995 prices (1995=100)
|
100
|
115.2
|
123.1 (2004)
|
IE (195.1)
|
Notes. ':' indicates no data available
All data are from Eurostat, with exceptions mentioned in the footnotes. See also the SDI database on the website (http://europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat/sustainabledevelopment)
for a breakdown by countries and additional data.
[1] Human Development Report, 2003. Millennium Development Goals: A compact among nations to end human poverty
See also: Frequently asked questions on the review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy
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