The European Council comprises the EU Heads of State and Government, but the Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the President of the Commission also participate in these meetings, which are often referred to as summits. The ordinary meeting of the European Council will be held in G teborg on 15-16 June 2001. Some 4000-5000 delegates and journalists normally take part in a summit meeting. These summits serve primarily as a forum for discussion of guidelines and major issues on the EU agenda. A central topic for the summit in G teborg is sustainable development.
Sustainable development is about planning for the future.
It is about taking into consideration the fact that the number of people of working age is declining and what this entails for pensions and the possibility of maintaining reasonable welfare levels. It is also about integrating environmental considerations into all parts of society. At present nine Council constellations are already working to incorporate an environmental perspective into their activities. Within all these areas, strategies are being drawn up on how to integrate environmental considerations in order to achieve sustainable development. A progress check will be made at the summit in G teborg.