Mr President, I want to begin by thanking the President and his colleagues for the fact that the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy has for once been allowed to see the light of day. This is the first time, as far as I can remember, that the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy has been able to conduct a debate at a time that might be called in any way normal. It is no doubt a sign that the wind of change is blowing through the Judicial Board for Public Lands and Funds, and we must hope that it continues to do so. The wind of change also characterises the excellent reports prepared by Mr Papayannakis and Mr Lannoye on ‘ten years after Rio’ and ‘sustainable development’. Were we to succeed in complying with these reports and taking the relevant decisions in this House on the model supplied by Mr Lannoye and Mr Papayannakis, then we should have done more than has been done in the last ten years. The wind of change clearly died down when it reached the Commission, however. There is no evidence of very much having happened there. Certain breezes are perhaps detectable, but not much more. Above all, the Commission is finding it incredibly difficult, just as it did last year when we discussed sustainable development, to engage in a dialogue with Parliament. I do not know what kind of impediment it is that prevents the Commission from achieving proper communication and having proper discussions with Parliament on the subject of sustainable development. Instead, we have to continue to tag along with our proposals and ideas. A serious grass-roots debate on this issue is needed, and Parliament is an excellent forum in which to begin that discussion. Parliament must therefore be taken seriously when it talks about this issue. Ten years after Rio and five years after our having made a pledge concerning sustainability strategies in all the UN countries, we can of course see what has happened. One sample figure that sticks in the mind is the fact that the four richest people on this planet own as much as the 48 poorest nations combined. I think this says quite a lot about the way the situation now appears in the world. For example, we allow 5 500 children to die every day because of polluted air, polluted food and polluted water. Children, who are the most vulnerable, are being allowed to die because of the pattern of life we now have. Just as Mr Lannoye said, we permit the rich world to over-produce, and waste, food at the same time as 800 million people are starving. This is a policy and a pattern of life that cannot continue for very much longer. There are nonetheless certain bright spots following Rio. There are cities, countries, municipalities and regions that have done an incredible amount to change the situation. Nevertheless, the overall result is disheartening and. something must be done. I think we must repeat the message in precisely the same form we used before the Gothenburg Summit. We need committed political leadership on the issue. Political priorities need to be set. I think it would have been good if at least one representative from the Spanish Presidency, which is to communicate this commitment of ours in the light of Rio, had been here in the House and listened to today’s debate. We have heard what problems there are, and our documents contain the proposed solutions. I hope that both the Commission and the Council will now listen to what Parliament has to say.

Political group: PSE