eunbil · GT0N1268 · 2006-05-19 00:00:00 — THE EUROPEAN UNION , from : Presidency to : Working Party on Competitiveness and Growth No. doc. 6276/06 ENV 75 34 ECO 15 ECOFIN 40 41 DEVGEN 32 MI 25 PECHE 33 RELEX 72 28 SOC 65 TRANS 36 RECH 16 POLGEN 8 EDUC 30 No. Cion doc. 15796/1/05 REV 1 ENV 601 355 ECO 159 ECOFIN 412 203 DEVGEN 254 MI 143 PECHE 285 RELEX 766 217 SOC 516 TRANS 285 RECH 242 EDUC 196 Subject : Preparation of the Meeting on 29 2006 Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) - Call for written replies 1. Delegations find below a background note and two annexes containing Presidency questions concerning the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS). This note will be presented to the Competitiveness and Growth Working Party on with a view to ascertaining delegations" positions which could subsequently be transmitted in written form. Council in adopted a strategy for sustainable development in 2001. During this summit, the Strategy was given an additional dimension in the form of the environment. The strategy also includes the EUs long-term objectives for economic reform, employment and social cohesion. With its inclusion in these objectives, the environment will then receive the same amount of consideration as the social and economic dimensions in the evaluation and follow-up of the objectives. Council held a special meeting in on 23-24 2000 to agree a new strategic goal for the Union for the next decade: to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. Reinforcing the link with the Strategy Article 2 of Treaty refers to promoting economic and social progress and a high level of employment and to achieving balanced and sustainable development, in particular through the creation of an area without internal frontiers, through the strengthening of economic and social cohesion and through the of economic and monetary union, ultimately including a single currency in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty. On 22-23 2005, the discussed the Commission"s mid-term review of the strategy for economic, social and environmental renewal. focus on growth and employment, simplification of procedures and increased national ownership via national action plans are the key elements in the relaunch of the reform agenda. In 2005, Council adopted a for Sustainable Development based on four key objectives: Social equity and cohesion; Economic prosperity; and, Meeting international responsibilities. In Council noted the presentation of the Commission"s communication on a renewed EU SDS for the next five years and looked forward to adopting in 2006 an ambitious and comprehensive strategy, comprising targets, indicators and an effective monitoring procedure. The Commission"s "Package" , consists of: the Communication itself, proposing six priority issues, the integration of the external dimension into internal policy-making, as well as an effective monitoring procedure and follow-up process; Guiding Principles for SD adopted in 2005 by Council; Objectives, Targets, Policies and Actions; a adopted in February 2005, taking stock of the progress and proposing first orientations. On 3 and 17 February 2006, the Group of the Friends-of-the-Presidency on the Review of the EU SDS (FoP) held preliminary discussions and examined a first draft of Presidency questions to guide policy debates in the different Council formations directly concerned by the SDS review. These questions appear in annex I to this note: Environment: 9 2006 TTE - Transport: 27 2006 GAERC - External Relations: Ag/Fish: 20 2006 ECOFIN: 5 2006 Competitiveness: 29/30 2006 EJC - Education: 18 2006 EPSCO/Employment and Social Affairs: 1 2006 EPSCO/Health and Consumer protection: 2 2006 TTE - Energy: 8/9 2006 From the point of view of competitiveness, additional questions have been drawn up which appear in . Delegations should also take into account the excellent preparation document by () on the review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy which has already been distributed. It could enrich the discussion at the meeting of the . Call for written replies Delegations are invited to submit to the Council Secretariat () their written replies to the three questions presented in and to the additional questions presented in , by Tuesday 9 2006 c.o.b. at the latest. On the basis of the Commission"s Package, the responses by delegations and the debate at the , the Presidency will prepare a draft for a reviewed EU SDS to be adopted by Council at its 2006 meeting. Questions to all Council formations Do you consider the objectives, targets, key actions and the implied mix of policy instruments proposed in the package, in particular 2 , are appropriate and sufficient to meet the challenges of Sustainable Development and to efficiently address unsustainable trends in your policy area? Are greater prioritisation and/or stronger efforts necessary to achieve this? How can your Council formation best contribute to deliver visible results and measurable progress in implementing the EU SDS? What should be done to enhance synergies and coherence across policies and processes, including the agenda? How can an ambitious EU SDS ensure coherence between EU internal policies and its international commitments and contribute to sustainable development at both EU and global level, in particular in your specific policy area? international competition and the risk of delocalisation faced by European industrial locations been sufficiently considered in the revision of the EUs sustainability strategy? Has it been ensured that ambitious sustainability and environmental standards will be discussed at a multilateral level and on a broad basis to provide for a level international playing field and to what extent is a coherent policy suited to answer to questions with regard to ecological efficiency? How can it be ensured that climate protection and economic growth can be reconciled? doc. 15796/05 (COM(2005) 658 final). Doc. 15796/05 (COM(2005) 658 final). 8674/06 AW/ep DG C II EN 8674/06 AW/ep C II EN 8674/06 AW/ep C II EN