Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on "Re-invigorating the transatlantic partnership and dialogue"
Date: 2001-05-30
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: European Union, United States, cooperation policy

7.8.2001

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Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on ‘Re-invigorating the transatlantic partnership
and dialogue’

(2001/C 221/20)

On 30 November 2000, the Economic and Social Committee decided to draw up an opinion in
accordance with Rule 23(3) of its Rules of Procedure on ‘Re-invigorating the transatlantic partnership and
dialogue’.

The Section for External Relations, responsible for preparing the Committee’s work on the subject,
adopted its opinion on 17 May 2001. The rapporteur was Mr Ehnmark.

At its 382nd plenary session on 30 and 31 May 2001 (meeting of 30 May 2001), the Committee adopted
the following opinion by 119 votes for and two abstentions.

Summary of the opinion

a)

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

g)

The Economic and Social Committee strongly supports
the transatlantic cooperation and recommends that it be
reinvigorated and broadened.

The Committee fears that the number of differences of
opinion on bilateral and global issues between the US
and EU may be growing.

The Committee emphasises that a widened partnership
and cooperation must be based on mutual understanding
and respect for each other’s visions, values, interests and
social models.

The Committee recommends that organised civil society
is actively and vigorously involved in the partnership.
Organized civil society can give important inputs to both
preparation and follow-up of events in the transatlantic
cooperation. A widened people-to-people profile is par-
ticularly important when disputes are becoming more
frequent.

The Committee supports the change to a more thematic
way of organising the cooperation, taking into account
that crisis issues must be tackled in particular forms.

The Committee proposes four priority themes: Globalis-
ation and the multilateral trading system, Environment
and climate change, Food safety and consumer protection
issues, Social cohesion and sustainable social systems in
a demographic perspective.

The Committee strongly supports the continuation and
strengthening of the existing dialogues. The setting up of
Task Forces as a tool for preparing theme discussions at
US-EU summits should also be considered, and the ESC
declares its readiness to assist in setting up such bodies.

h)

i)

j)

k)

The Committee intends to be actively involved in the
transatlantic cooperation. As European Institution rep-
resenting organized civil society, the Committee can
provide added value to the cooperation.

As part of the Committee’s widened involvement, the
Committee proposes the creation of an annual or 2-
yearly Transatlantic Forum for penetrating topical issues
of mutual relevance and interest. The Committee declares
its willingness to organise the first Transatlantic Forum in
the Spring of 2002.

The Committee calls upon the forthcoming EU-US sum-
mit in Gothenburg to take the lead in forming a global
strategy for sustainable development.

The forthcoming WTO negotiations in Quatar will illus-
trate the ability of the EU and the USA to agree on a joint
platform and reconcile their differences. The Committee
calls on the forthcoming EU-US summit in Gothenburg
to take decisive steps in this direction.

1.

Introduction

1.1.
The transatlantic cooperation between the US and the
EU expanded and found new forms during the 1990’s, in the
wake of the end of the cold war. The new forms and the feeling
of mutual benefits made it possible to involve also groups of
organised civil society in dialogues and cooperation initiatives.
The New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA), adopted in 1995, was a
significant step, as it expanded the EU-US cooperation to the
full range of political and economic issues.

The NTA was important also in view of the previous
1.2.
discussions on the possibility of creating a free trade area
encompassing both the EU and the US. Those discussions

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failed, and are not an issue today, but they indicated a
move towards finding new dimensions and forms for the
cooperation.

1.9.
The Committee has not found it relevant to examine all
the various issues where differences of opinion are becoming
obvious. However, on one issue the ESC is voicing its reaction.

1.3.
The NTA marked the beginning of a new equilibrium
between the EU and the US. In the Spring of 2001, the growing
role of the EU in international affairs and as an international
actor has become both obvious and significant. At the same
time, significant events in the American hemisphere —
particularly the agreement in Quebec to create a free trade area
for all American states, except Cuba, have contributed to
changing the scene and the conditions for the further develop-
ment of
the NTA and in a wider sense for the whole
transatlantic cooperation.

1.4.
The NTA added substantially to the problem-solving
capacity of the mechanisms for cooperation — without hiding
the fact that continuously a number of potential conflicts
and/or differences of opinion are emerging, particularly con-
cerning trade. The tackling of these problems before they
became really difficult has, however, on the whole worked
well, with a few exceptions.

It is anticipated that this capacity will remain adequate
1.5.
also in years to come. As in all relationships with timespans of
many decades, the level of mutual understanding and accord
may differ over the years.

1.6.
It is possible that we are now witnessing the beginning
of a period with an increasing number of differences of
opinion between the US and EU on key bilateral and global
issues. If so, it will become all the more important that the
dialogue between the civil societies on both sides of the Atlantic
is working well, and that the problem-solving mechanisms are
adequate.

1.7.
The European Commission has stated, in a communi-
cation on the future of the Transatlantic cooperation (1), that
although difficulties arise, the fact remains ‘that relations
between Europe and the US is the most important strategic
relationship in the world’.

1.8.
The Economic and Social Committee wishes to express
its firm support for this statement. At the same time, the
Committee reiterates its opinion that a growing number
of differences of opinion may create new strains on the
relationship.

The Economic and Social Committee deplores the
1.10.
fact that the Kyoto protocol on global climate issues is in a
state of implementation crisis, after the announcement that
the US is withdrawing from the protocol.

1.11.
In this opinion on the future of transatlantic cooper-
ation, the Committee focuses its considerations on the issue of
how cooperation and dialogues can be strengthened in the
years to come. Where there are differences of opinion on
political level, it is all the more important that cooperation
and dialogues are reinvigorated, preventing misunderstanding
between the two sides, and including organised civil society
more than ever.

1.12. With this own-initiative opinion, the Committee is
examining the experiences of the past period of transatlantic
cooperation, and proposing a number of steps to reinvigorate
some mechanisms and dialogues. With the advent of the new
US administration, it is timely to consider both experiences of
past and priorities for future cooperation.

1.13.
At the same time, the Committee finds it relevant to
consider the role for the Committee itself in the transatlantic
cooperation and dialogues, based on the assumption, as stated
previously, that organised civil society on both sides should
intensify their contacts.

1.14.
The Committee believes that it can give concrete
contributions to the cooperation and contacts, by way of
strengthening its own dialogue with all parts of the American
society. Some specific proposals are put forward to this end.

1.15. With this opinion, the Committee is also giving a
contribution to the EU-US summit that is to take place in
connection with the EU summit in Gothenburg in June this
year.

(1) COM(2001) 154 final of 20.3.2001.

1.16.
The real challenge for the EU-US partnership is to
focus on the long-term common values and interests, not the
short-term problems, and to seek relevant issues and forms for
cooperation accordingly.

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2.

The growth of transatlantic cooperation during the
1990s

3.

Experiences of the transatlantic cooperation during
the 1990s

2.1.
In the early 1990’s the deliberations on transatlantic
cooperation were coloured by the collapse of the Soviet Union
and the end of the cold war. New opportunities for cooperation
on bilateral and global issues were seen, and new initiatives
taken in order to structure the cooperation.

2.2.
The discussion on a possible transatlantic free trade
area reflected the feeling in the early 1990’s that the oppor-
tunities were endless. However, in the end they were not so
endless, and the idea of a transatlantic free trade area was
abandoned.

The European Commission has summarised part of the

3.1.
experiences of past cooperation in the following sentence:

‘Although difficulties occasionally arise between the EU
and the US on policy matters owing to the differences
between them in institutional structures and administrat-
ive practices, the fact remains that relations between
Europe and the United States is the most important
strategic relationship in the world’.

The Commission has added a pertinent analysis to this
identifying six major reasons for the

3.2.
general statement,
shortcomings that have occurred:

In the middle of the 1990’s, a new structure for the
2.3.
transatlantic cooperation was established, the Transatlantic
partnership and agenda.

— the limits placed on the US executive branch by the
essentially domestically driven legislative process of the
US Congress;

2.4.
In 1995, the New Transatlantic Agenda (NTA) was
agreed upon, marking a more decisive step forward in
identifying the cooperation and the dialogues. The NTA set up
four major goals:

— promoting peace and stability, democracy and develop-

ment around the world;

— responding to global challenges: this included actions
against terrorism and actions with regard to environment;

— contributing to the expansion of world trade and closer

economic ties;

— building bridges across the Atlantic.

2.5.
Under this last headline, a number of people-to-people
initiatives were launched. The four specific dialogues, on
labour, consumer and environment cooperation,
business,
date from 1995.

— the institutional

Treaties and the structural constraints of
decision-making process;

limitations placed on the EU by the
the EU’s

— different levels of willingness to make economic sacrifices
in order to advance global environmental standards;

— a different level of consumer tolerance on issues such as

the use of genetically modified organisms;

— the constitutional inability of US Federal Administration
to commit regulatory agencies and federal states in its
dealings with the EU;

— the difficulties both sides face in ensuring the prompt and

full implementation of WTO rulings.

High-level political leadership and commitment on both sides
should help to overcome these difficulties, the Commission
adds.

The structure of the NTA includes two annual meetings
2.6.
at summit level, an elaborate civil servant structure, and a
number of informal contacts with the aim of identifying
problems and options in the partnership. Organised civil
society has only marginally been involved in the NTA.

3.3.
The ESC welcomes the clear language of the Com-
mission analysis, and can agree with the contents. A discussion
on future cooperation must build on a certain degree of
openness and frankness in assessing problems and difficulties
past and present. The Commission’s communication is provid-
ing a stimulating reading for all involved in the transatlantic
cooperation.

2.7.
In addition, in 1998 the Transatlantic Economic Part-
nership (TEP) was launched with the aim of giving a new
impetus to EU-US cooperation in the field of trade and
investment, within the framework of the NTA.

transatlantic relations support

The observations made by the ESC on the future
3.4.
the
of
Commission. The combination of constitutional, institutional
and public opinion-related factors have sometimes created

the conclusions of

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strong hindrances to new initiatives. On the other hand, it
should be emphasised that the New Transatlantic Agenda has
added substantially to the widening of contacts and dialogues,
and helped in bringing in new issues.

Active and vigorous participation of civil society organisations
was widely supported. However, on the US side, it was noted
that contacts domestically between NGOs and organised civil
society was far less frequent than on the European side.

At the same time, and regardless of the NTA mechan-
3.5.
isms,
trade disputes and other problematic issues have
appeared. The fact that a substantial number of such issues
have required prolonged efforts for solving indicates that the
mechanisms have not been adequate. It has been noted that
the trade dispute relate only 1-1,5 percent of total volume of
bilateral trade. On the US side, it has also been noted that
some pending issues, such as for example the issue of
genetically modified crops, could quickly develop into a very
substantial dispute.

The established dialogues within the NTA can not exist without
strong government involvement; this refers specifically to the
Business dialogue, but the point was echoed also by others.
The issue of financial support to the dialogues was brought
up, with special reference to the environment dialogue.

The extraordinary growth in productivity in US industry over
the last decade was frequently brought up, in the context of
heavy investments in ICT and in human resource development.
This cluster of issues was mentioned as one possible area for
further bilateral analysis and comparison.

The ESC, however, could also take note of the fact that
3.6.
representatives of
those organizations that are active in
dialogues and seminars on EU-US level over the last years have
been arguing that it is time to take new initiatives in order to
reinvigorate the partnership.

Labour relations in the US were affected by growing problems
in vis-à-vis business and the new administration; on this issue,
it was obvious that the EU could provide inspiring information
and aspects.

3.7.
Representatives of business, consumer movement, and
environment have in various degrees pointed to this same
need. Representatives of the US trade union movement have
forwarded the view that
their bilateral contacts are well
established within the existing trade union European and
global confederations.

In particular, the ESC, in his contacts with EU and US
3.8.
organised civil society took note of the following comments
and observations:

The commitment to transatlantic cooperation on the US side
was perceived as weaker than before. This will no doubt result
in changes in the atmosphere in the NTA. At the same time,
US priority of relations with other parts of the Americas was
underlined in various discussions.

Wide consensus was achieved as to the need to reinvigorate
the NTA and the dialogues, and to create new mechanisms for
cooperation. The issues, however, can not be selected on their
likelihood of gaining consensus; it would rather be advisable
to select issues where positions and solutions differ, but where
a dialogue can be inspiring for both sides.

4. Key themes and issues for the transatlantic partner-

ship

4.1.
It seems pertinent to focus on the key issues for the
transatlantic partnership over the next four years or more
before discussing objectives of extended dialogues and con-
tacts.

The four dialogues that were established in 1995 —
4.2.
on business, labour, consumers and environment — have not
all been successful. It is obvious that the Business dialogue has
functioned very well, providing conclusions that have assisted
in solving bilateral trade and industry problems. The same can
be said about the Consumers dialogue, which has inspired
legislation on both sides of the Atlantic. The Labour dialogue
has to a large extent been taken place within established
bilateral trade union contacts. The Environmental dialogue has
only partially achieved its objectives; although it started well,
it has later been forced to suspend work due to lack of
resources on the US side. For some dialogues, the balance
between issues and meeting mechanisms has been difficult. As
one of the business representatives has expressed the situation,
the mechanism for initiating and organizing meetings have
sometimes become more important than the existence of
relevant issues to discuss.

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4.3.
In this perspective, it is of particular importance that
the issues — apart from topical crisis issues — selected for
future NTA work meet criteria of both long term and mutual
relevance. The European Commission has, out of its own
analysis, identified eight themes of more strategic dimensions,
and suggested that the NTA process should be focused on one
or two such themes at any given period.

4.4.

The eight themes identified by the Commission are:

a)

Emerging security challenges

b) Globalisation and the multilateral system

c)

d)

e)

Fight against crime and in particular organised crime

Energy — preparing for the future

Consumer protection issues, in particular food safety

f) Macroeconomic issues

g)

Fight against poverty in developing countries

h) Digital economy and its effects on production, working

life etc.

To this list, the General Affairs council has added a ninth issue,
environment and climate change.

4.5.
The Commission proposes that the themes be divided
into priority issues, so as to enable the NTA structure to
concentrate on a limited number of issues each year, and not
move on to new themes and issues before some kind of results
have been achieved.

4.6.
The ESC can agree that the NTA process could become
more focused and thereby increase the potential for reaching
some kind of results. The point is, however, that any definition
of result must ultimately rely on the mutual willingness and
ambition to work for the aim of reaching results — be it in
the form of agreements, the starting of new projects or
programmes, or initiatives at national level.

4.7.
The ESC can also agree that the suggested eight themes
are pertinent and relevant. They cover very broad areas and
reflect issues of high priority to both sides or to one or the
other. The Committee does not have objections to anyone of
them being included in a theme list.

However, from a civil society point of view, the ESC
4.8.
would give particular importance to the following themes, on
the basis that these themes in a very specific way reflect

considerations and interests of broad groups of citizens on
both sides of the Atlantic:

— Globalisation and the multilateral trading system: this
theme should include building EU-US support for a
remodelling of the multilateral trading system, to pro-
mote sustainable world economic growth and develop-
ment, including respect for ILO core labour standards,
joint efforts to promote,
implement and enforce the
OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (1), and
preparations for the next WTO round.

— Environment and climate change: this theme should
include both preparations for the Rio + 10 Conference
and the establishment of renewed strategies for counter-
acting climate change.

— Food safety and consumer protection issues: this theme
should in particular respond to recent widespread fear
among consumers that safe food is a commodity in
scarcity.

— Social cohesion and sustainable social systems in a
perspective of demographic trends: this theme would
respond to the interests of wide groups in organised civil
society and takes up issues that are becoming more and
more urgent.

The Committee has considered also other themes from the
point of view of organised civil society; most of them can be
included in the Commission list or in the four above-
mentioned themes. Among these themes can be mentioned
migration and digital security. When selecting themes for
future transatlantic cooperation, the Committee would, how-
ever, like to give special attention to the issue of sustainable
development, which is specifically commented upon in chap-
ter 8, and the issue of working life developments in the new
and ICT-profiled economy.

(1) The OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises are rec-
ommendations addressed by the 30 OECD governments together
with Argentina, Brazil and Chile to multinational enterprises
operating in/or from adhering countries. They are non-binding
principles and standards for responsible business conduct. The
Guidelines are comprehensive in covering ten different areas:
Concepts and Principles, General Policies, Disclosure, Employment
and Industrial Relations, Environment, Combating Bribery, Con-
sumer Interests, Science and Technology, Competition and Tax-
ation. For the Guidelines to be effective, they must be properly
implemented and enforced. The transatlantic dialogue should
encourage this. Governments now have the opportunity to make
the Guidelines known and respected by companies world-wide.
However, this requires the cooperation between EU-US on the
one hand and organised civil society on the other.

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4.9.
To sum up, the ESC strongly advocates the inclusion
of themes that are of broad relevance for organised civil
society.

4.18.
In the Trade Union sector, considerably more contacts
and discussions take place outside the Dialogue than within.
The trade union confederations would, however, probably find
it interesting to take part in new initiatives.

The Commission is suggesting a rolling programme
4.10.
for the EU-US summits, based on the selected themes and
issues, and ensuring a top-down approach focussing on
accomplishments and results.

4.19.
The Consumers’ Dialogue has been very active and
overall successful. Its continued work is more or less indispens-
able. The Consumers’ Dialogue should of course be closely
connected to new themes such as the one on consumer
protection and on multilateral trading system.

4.11.
The ESC is not convinced that a top-down approach
in all cases is most favourable if there are to be results with
wider implications than for the next summit.

The ESC would strongly recommend that the evol-
4.12.
ution of the transatlantic partnership is based on the parallel
adoption of bottom-up and top-down procedures. The bot-
tom-up procedure will result in growing involvement by civil
society. This aspect should not be underestimated. At the same
the top-down approach is of course necessary in
time,
executive phases of summit considerations.

The Environment Dialogue, which has suspended its
4.20.
work due to financial resources on the US side, should be
reinitiated. This dialogue is extremely important, particularly
in the light of differences of priorities between the EU and US
in the environmental field. This dialogue has a very urgent role
to play in contributing to joint positions between the US and
the EU. Finding key issues to tackle can not be any problem. It
would seem that different viewpoints among participants from
each side of the Atlantic has been more of a problem. Anyhow,
the ESC would recommend that the Environment Dialogue
initially be integrated into a new effort on sustainable develop-
ment, in the new form of a Task Force.

4.13.
The Commission suggests that the outcome of sum-
mits could have different forms; the leaders could instruct
officials to identify possible solutions to a problem, proposals
for cooperation or revert with an EU-US position in advance
of international negotiations, all within a specific deadline.

5. Reinvigorating the structures and forms of the trans-

atlantic partnership

4.14.
To this, the ESC would suggest that yet another
possible outcome of a EU-US summit could be a decision to
involve broad groups in civil society for preparing or sounding
out positions, and for monitoring and follow-up of new
initiatives.

The ESC is reiterating its position that the transatlantic
5.1.
partnership should not predominantly be organised top-down.
A bottom-up dimension must be added.

There is always a danger that summitry work is too
4.15.
far removed from the lives and horizons of ordinary citizens.

5.2.
In accordance with this position, the ESC would like to
give some considerations concerning the structures and forms
of the transatlantic partnership in the next four years.

4.16.
The ESC would like to add some further comments,
particularly with regard to the four dialogues that were initiated
in 1995.

4.17.
The Business and Industry dialogue has been the most
successful of the dialogues initiated. The ESC supports the
view that the Business dialogue should continue as has been
voiced by a number of participants in this dialogue.

Themes that have been selected for the summit (with
5.3.
or without consultation with organised civil society) could be
prepared in parallel by the official channels and by involving
organised civil society. In some cases, this could take the form
of involving one of the Dialogues. In yet other cases, a suitable
form could be to initiate a Task Force with specific mandate
and specific working time. Such a Task Force could be given
the mandate to contribute to the preparation of a theme for a
EU-US summit. The Task Force should be seen as a possibility
to bring together various interests from both sides around a
common theme. The theme of Sustainable Development could
be a good example.

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5.4.
It should be mentioned that Task Forces — like the
Dialogues in past years — should have the opportunity of
organizing debates, seminars and hearings.

6.3.
To this picture should be added issues where the
trenches are very intact, such as on genetically modified crops.

5.5.
As to a possible dialogue between the dialogues, it has
become obvious that there is at present no real interest for
such initiatives.

6.4.
The ESC representing a wide spectrum of civil society,
has a natural role in assessing the mechanisms for solving
conflicting trade issues. The ESC will elaborate on this in a
forthcoming opinion in view of the WTO negotiations.

5.6.
The communication paper from the Commission notes
that the European Parliament should be more involved in the
transatlantic partnership in the future. The ESC strongly
supports this proposal.

5.7.
The ESC emphasises that organised civil society should
also be involved more actively in the transatlantic partnership
in the future. Particularly for establishing a wider public
awareness of the issues and themes that are discussed at
level, active involvement of civil society
EU-US summit
organisations is indispensable.

The role of the ESC in the transatlantic partnership is

5.8.
taken up in part 7.

5.9.
Financial resources for the various forms of transatlan-
tic partnership and cooperation will have to be further
considered. The fact that the important Environment Dialogue
has ceased to operate because of lack of funding is worrying.

5.10.
The ESC proposes that annual budget frames be
established for the continued transatlantic partnership and
dialogues and other forms for preparation and follow-up. The
group of senior diplomats in the NTA structure could have a
special responsibility for the distribution of the funding.

6.5.
It is obvious that new efforts must be made in order to
establish quicker and more efficient mechanisms for solving
trade issues. At the extreme, this is a question of political
leadership. The point is that conflicting trade issues very
quickly gets to the point of souring wide areas of cooperation,
and that is not acceptable.

The Committee is of the opinion that, ultimately, the decisive
factor is the commitment of both sides to adhere to and
implement the decisions by the WTO, when and if EU-US
disputes have to reach the level of WTO. This is a crucial
factor, with consequences also for other countries. It would be
fatal if the WTO mechanism is undermined by the largest
economies in the world. But at the same time, all efforts should
be made to resolve disputes before they reach WTO level.

6.6.
The initiation of a new WTO round is an urgent topic
of common high interest. The ESC finds it particularly
important that the EU and the US can create a joint platform
in view of the new WTO round, a platform that carries a
distinct signal in support of free trade and for the support of
core labour rights in trade.

5.11.
Finally, the Committee would like to suggest that
consideration be given to initiating dialogues similar to those
in the NTA between the EU and Japan.

6.7.
The EU has decided to abolish customs on all products,
except arms, from the 49 most poor countries on the globe.
This is a profile decision, regardless of the fact that transition
periods are remaining for some products.

6.

Trade issues

Controversial trade issues have been the specific hard-
6.1.
ship of the transatlantic partnership over the last five-ten years.
Given the fact that the EU and the US are the two largest
economies in the world, with a dominating position in world
trade, it is not surprising that trade issues of controversial
nature regularly are surfacing.

6.2.
It is anyhow somewhat surprising that some trade
issues have survived so many attempts at neutralising them.
The banana issue is just one of them — however recently —
successfully resolved.

6.8.
The ESC expresses its firm support of this decision,
and is hopeful that the US will be willing to take a similar
decision.

For the poor countries, the abolishing of customs and
6.9.
duties on their products are particularly valuable steps in
support of economic growth.

The largest economies of the world should take a joint
responsibility here.

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7.

The role of the ESC

In this opinion, the ESC is arguing in favour of a
7.1.
widened involvement of organised civil society in preparation
and follow-up of new themes and issues in the transatlantic
partnership.

7.2.

This leads to the question of the role of the ESC.

7.3.
The ESC is the only institution in the EU that represents
organised civil society in a wide sense. The ESC is developing
this role and function, in close contact and cooperation with
the other EU institutions, particularly the Parliament and the
Commission.

The ESC finds it logical that the ESC, against this
7.4.
background, should adopt a role also in the context of the
transatlantic partnership and agenda.

One part of such a role could be to organize an annual
7.5.
or 2-yearly Transatlantic Forum on topical
issues in the
transatlantic partnership. Such a Forum discussion could
function as a preparatory tool
in view of a forthcoming
summit, and likewise serve as a support in the follow-up of
previous summits.

7.6.
This Forum should bring together representatives of
organised civil society from both sides of the Atlantic. The
Committee will consider this initiative further, with the aim of
presenting a concrete proposal by the end of the year. This
could make it possible to organise a first Transatlantic Forum
in the Spring of 2002.

7.8.
The active involvement of the Economic and Social
Committee would also have another not unimportant result.
By way of this involvement, the Committee will be able to
assist in identifying upcoming disputes. In line with what has
been stated earlier in this opinion,
it is becoming more
necessary to strengthen the problem-solving mechanisms, and
that includes identifying would-be disputes at an early stage.

8.

Building the future, for our generation and the next

One of the dominant themes in EU policy consider-
8.1.
ations this Spring is about building the future,
for our
generation and the next. Under the headline of Sustainable
development, policy debate centres around the economic,
social and environmental dimensions. A first policy decision
on EU summit level is planned for June this year.

8.2.
Building the future, in our globalised world of work
and thought, is not a possible task for just one group of
countries. Ultimately, it is a task for global commitments, from
all groups of countries.

8.3.
Just over ten years after the end of the cold war, and in
a period where public opinion is increasingly aware of the
unsustainable trends in climate, food and transport, to mention
just a few examples, it is time for new efforts to create a policy
for sustainable development of global dimensions.

It has to be a beginning, but a beginning with a long

8.4.
time horizon.

The ESC is willing and ready to assist in initiating Task

7.7.
Forces.

The Economic and Social Committee calls upon the
8.5.
forthcoming EU-US summit to take the lead in forming a
global approach for a policy for sustainable development.

Brussels, 30 May 2001.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Göke FRERICHS