WRITTEN QUESTION E-1188/02

by Caroline Lucas (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(26 April 2002)

Subject: Sustainability impact assessment for the EU-Mexico Agreement

Sustainable development is one of the key objectives of the Treaty. As the European Union rightly recognises, sustainability has both an internal and an external dimension. In line with this recognition, the Gothenburg Council decided that all new trade proposals would undergo sustainability impact assessments (SIAs) as agreed under the EU sustainable development strategy. They would be undertaken by external experts and made public. According to a Commission document(1) around 10 % of the EU trade directorate's available budget will be spent on SIAs in 2002.

The EU-Mexico Agreement has been negotiated and has come into force before the above mentioned Council conclusions. However, sustainability had already been a EU objective before.

By which studies or which mechanisms has the Commission made sure that the EU-Mexico Agreement does not undermine its sustainability goals? Are these studies made public? Can the European Parliament or individual members receive these studies on request?

Does the EU foresee regular SIAs in order to underpin the future developments of the EU-Mexico Agreement?

(1) SEC(2002) 271.

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(27 May 2002)

As the Honourable Member mentions, the Union-Mexico Global Agreement has been negotiated and has come into force before the Council's conclusions concerning sustainability impact assessments were adopted.

However, the Decisions regarding the Community-Mexico free trade area contained a revision clause, which states that three years after their entry into force the parties will discuss the liberalisation of some products and sectors not included in the first Decisions. This revision will be done following all Union rules and procedures and it will therefore be a good opportunity to take into account Gothenburg Council's conclusions (of 15 and 16 June 2001).

Moreover, the Commission is bound by the EC Treaty to integrate environmental concerns into all areas of Community policies and to promote sustainable development. In that sense, the Commission has included in the above-mentioned agreement clauses concerning co-operation in the environmental sector. To this end, Article 34 of the Global Agreement states that the preservation of the environment and ecological balances shall be taken into account in all co-operation measures between the Union and Mexico. It also makes specific reference to develop co-operation to prevent degradation of the environment; to promote the conservation and sustainable management of natural resources; to develop, spread and exchange information and experience on environmental legislation; to stimulate the use of economic incentives to promote compliance; to strengthen environmental management at all levels of government; to promote training of human resources, education in environmental topics and the execution of joint research projects; to develop channels for social participation.

The Commission has underlined environment as a crosscutting issue in the country strategy paper, which set up the priority co-operation actions to be implemented with Mexico for the period 2002-2006. Moreover, the Union-Mexico Global Agreement foresees the negotiation of a bilateral agreement on environment actually under consideration.