It was in Rio in 1992 that the international community established the concept of sustainable development. There is no doubt that in the intervening ten years the language used in speeches on the environment and development has changed, and changed for the better. Solemn undertakings have been made and conventions have been signed – if not ratified, at least signed – but we must also note, ten years on, that the situation on the environmental front has not improved, it has deteriorated, and that where poor and developing countries are concerned there has been no improvement there either. The inequalities have continued to increase: today, more than 800 million people are still undernourished and a billion people do not have access to drinking water. This is surely a state of affairs which cannot be tolerated. Johannesburg, which will take place in a few months, will not only be a time for taking stock; it will also be the moment of truth. It is not enough to have a ceremonial preaching of environmental values, which would be a repeat of what was said in Rio. Neither is it enough to have a chorus of lamentations: we need on the agenda a programme of ambitious political change for the next ten years. That, in any case, is the message which the Committee on Development and Cooperation has asked me to pass on to you. What we are proposing is that we make the overall priority the fight against poverty and hunger and the fair and sustainable use of natural resources. The message that we are sending to this House, to the Commission and to the Council is focused on five chapters: the first is fighting poverty and promoting social development, and it contains a whole series of specific proposals. The second is about harnessing globalisation. What does this mean? It means quite clearly that sustainable development must take precedence. Trade legislation, the rules of international trade and rules on investment must therefore be made subject to sustainable development criteria, and not the other way round. The third is the sustainable management and conservation of natural resources. This will require the development of new technologies and here I am thinking in particular, where energy is concerned, of renewable sources of energy. The proposals that we make in this regard are both credible and ambitious. The fourth chapter is related to something the Commission said itself in the first document it published last year, that it was necessary to change production and consumption patterns. This is true, but it will require us to make some hard choices. I think, for example, that as far as we are concerned, some European Union policies – and I am thinking in particular of the common agricultural policy, the fisheries policy and the trade policy – will need to be reviewed if we are to avoid their running counter to the objectives of sustainable development. Furthermore, it will give us much greater credibility at international level, especially at the Johannesburg conference, if we put our own house in order before saying what needs to be done at international level. Our fifth and final point is that we need to ensure that there is good governance at all levels. The concept of good governance is often tainted with paternalism. I believe that if it is applied at all levels of decision-making, and in particular at the level of international institutions, the use of this term will become more credible. I think, for example, that the international economic institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation, need a serious facelift so as to introduce a minimum of democracy and a minimum of public and political oversight. That, in essence, is the message which the Committee on Development wishes to see this House and the Commission – I turn here to Commissioner Nielson – take away with them, because in a few weeks' time, there is a key date: the meeting in Bali, the last preparatory meeting before the Johannesburg Summit. So far, we have no cause for optimism because there is still no document on the table and up for discussion which shows real ambition. I therefore hope that our contribution will help the European institutions to play a leading role in this preparatory meeting, if there is still time, and in any case I hope that we will avoid giving the impression of thinking that handing over the responsibility for managing the problems related to sustainable development to partnership initiatives with the private sector is the way to resolve the problem. It may form part of the solution, but it has to be in addition to the commitments made by individual States and by the international institutions and not instead of them. This is what I wanted to say, Mr President.

Political group: Verts-ALE