Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on "Sustainable development: World Summit on Sustainable Development — Johannesburg, 2002"
Date: 2002-05-16
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: economic policy, environmental policy, international meeting, social policy, sustainable development

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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26. welcomes the recognition of the role of
local and
regional authorities alongside other players in developing a
common asylum system, but regrets that the elements of the
system described in the relevant proposed guideline (the
second guideline) relate only to the administration of the
asylum claim and not to the support services local and regional
authorities are likely to be involved in delivering during the
course of the asylum reception period;

27. welcomes the recognition of the role of
local and
regional authorities alongside other players in developing
integration strategies: however, access to support services and

preparation for the eventual outcome of either a positive
decision on refugee status, or refusal, should be part and parcel
of the asylum reception process;

28. welcomes idea of allowing the candidate countries to
take part even at this early stage in an exchange of information
and emphasises the need to involve the local and regional
authorities of the candidate countries in this process;

29. welcomes the commitment to further involvement of
the Committee of the Regions alongside other European
institutions in the development and implementation of the
Community asylum policy.

Brussels, 16 May 2002.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE

Resolution of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Sustainable development: World Summit on
Sustainable Development — Johannesburg, 2002’

(2002/C 278/14)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

having regard to the Conclusions of the Presidency of the Gothenburg European Council of 15 and
16 June 2001;

having regard to the Decision of the European Council of 4 March 2002 on the approval, on behalf of
the European Community, of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change and the joint fulfilment of commitments thereunder (COM(2001) 579 final);

having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament
entitled Ten years after Rio: Preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002
(COM(2001) 53 final);

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 14 November 2001 on the Commission
Communication entitled Ten years after Rio: Preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable Development
in 2002 (CdR 37/2001 fin) (1);

having regard to the Commission’s Communication to the European Parliament, the Council, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘Towards a global partnership for
sustainable development’ (COM(2002) 82 final);

having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 5 December 2001 to the European
Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: the
Commission’s work programme for 2002 (COM(2001) 620 final);

(1) OJ C 107, 3.5.2002, p. 9.

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having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council
on its annual policy strategy for 2003 (SEC(2002) 217/7 final);

having regard to the Communication from the Commission of 15 January 2002 to the Spring European
Council in Barcelona on 15 and 16 March 2002, at which a new impetus is given to the strategy, adopted
two years earlier at the Lisbon summit (COM(2002) 14 final), to make Europe the world’s most dynamic,
competitive and sustainable knowledge-based economy;

having regard to the Conclusions of the Presidency of the Barcelona European Council of 15 and
16 March 2002 in which the Council states that sustainable development requires world-wide solutions,
integrating the economic, social and environmental dimensions in a balanced way;

having regard to the Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the approval of the Kyoto Protocol,
the implementation by the European Commission of the first phase of the European Climate Change
Programme and the proposal for a Council Directive establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission
allowance trading and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (CdR 458/2001 fin) (1);

whereas ten years after the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992 (UNCED), it must be concluded that in the twenty-first century further development is
needed of the international strategy for a balanced and coherent economic, social and ecological approach
to sustainable development, otherwise known as Agenda 21;

whereas Agenda 21 is a guideline for the development of internal action — a fifteen-year programme for
certain policy areas with the aim of supporting interaction and cooperation between the United Nations
system and other governmental as well as non-governmental sub-regional, regional and global institutions
in the area of environment and development. Improvement is needed in global international management,
with the initial emphasis on more cooperation between the various international organisations;

whereas the important role which the regional and local authorities play in constructing, operating and
maintaining economic, social and environmental infrastructure as well as planning, establishing and
monitoring regional and local environmental policies and regulations, and assisting in implementing
national policies was recognised in Agenda 21;

whereas the draft text of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development will lead to an action plan
which should include: balanced water management, an integrated agricultural and rural policy, the
maintenance of biodiversity, measures for climate control and clean energy and transport management, a
clear population policy. Local and regional authorities as well as civil society are important actors to
involve in the implementation of this action plan;

whereas 80 % of Europe’s population live in urban areas, and their needs and the needs of those living in
rural areas who live on 80 % of EU territory must be balanced together in a sustainable way;

whereas strong links exist between poverty and environmental degradation. Many environmental
problems are caused by lack of social equity and economic development and many environmental
problems hinder poverty reduction and economic development;

whereas more attention needs to be paid to the promotion of social inclusion, and the fight against
poverty must be intensified;

(1) OJ C 192, 12.8.2002, p. 59.

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whereas important efforts are also needed in research and technological development in the framework
of the EU’s research policy, not only for the development of new technology but also on the development
of decision-aiding tools as well as evaluation and monitoring methods,

at its 44th plenary session of 15 and 16 May 2002 (meeting of 16 May), unanimously adopted the
following resolution.

The Committee of the Regions

1. welcomes the political declarations by the European
Councils in Gothenburg and Barcelona on a sustainable
development strategy; urges the EU institutions to put these
declarations into practice. Economic growth today must in no
event jeopardise growth possibilities of future generations;

priorities for sustainable development,
the combating of
climate change, acidification and eutrophication, concern for
sustainable transport (better coordination between road and
rail and encouragement of rail transport), promoting the use
of renewable energies, additional measures to combat public
health risks and more responsible management of natural
resources;

urges the European Commission to invite the Committee
2.
of the Regions and its local and regional representatives in the
fifteen EU Member States to take an active part
in the
preparation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development
in Johannesburg which is to be held from 26 August to
4 September 2002. The CoR asks to be represented in the
Johannesburg Conference, as it has an important role to play
in the implementation of the decisions after Johannesburg;

asks the European Commission to make proposals on
8.
how to improve the decision-making process in view of
sustainable development. These proposals should promote the
implementation of principles of good governance which must
not be undermined by using instruments which were not
foreseen in the EU Treaties;

3.
expects the European Commission to always take into
account the principle of subsidiarity. Moreover, rather than a
linear top-down or bottom-up approach, the different spheres
of government should interact in partnership, recognising
their interdependencies;

requests that the European Commission ensures that
4.
all
the major proposals put forward at the Johannesburg
Conference are in line with the European Union’s sustainable
development strategy;

5.
states that many of the targets set at the Rio Conference
ten years ago have not been realised and asks the EU delegation
to focus on reaching an agreement on the implementation of
those targets and on taking measures against any country that
does not respect the Rio targets;

9.
states the need for the enlarged European Union to fully
integrate sustainable development into all of its work from the
outset, most importantly in the areas of economic, social and
environmental policy. As the candidate countries will provide
a rich source of biodiversity to the EU, particular attention
should be paid to these regions and regions with more
vulnerable environments;

10.
advocates that a better coordination between environ-
mental protection and policies for poverty eradication should
be promoted, bearing in mind that partnership at local and
regional levels seems to be the most effective way of fighting
exclusion and promoting an integrating approach towards
sustainable development;

6.
requests that the strategy of implementation of objectives
and guidelines derived from the international Agenda process
should be based on the new approaches to policy-making
developed by the European Commission and within the
framework of existing EU competencies;

7.
shares the internationally expressed wish for a global
approach to problem-solving, the setting of environmental

11.
fully recognises the need to put into practice the right
of access for all to global public goods and hence the role
played by services of general interest and their contribution to
people’s quality of life and the sustainable, economic, social
and environmental development of our society. Hence a
necessary review of the situation should be done case-by-case,
service by service, to find the most suitable solution between
short- and long-term objectives, and between economic and
social concerns;

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agrees with the European Parliament that the Com-
12.
mission Communications make too little mention of
the
contribution of local and regional authorities to sustainable
development.

18.
the recognition of the need to improve the quality of
world food production, through a better regulatory framework
(monitoring and penalties) for (bio)technology. There may be
unknown risks connected with certain technologies and the
related ethical
issues (e.g. GMOs) may not have been suf-
ficiently discussed;

The following thematic areas should be developed:

the right balance to be struck between the targeted,
19.
large-scale promotion of certain (energy and transport) tech-
nologies and the use of generic innovation policy, putting
sustainability focused technology to work through the market;

attention to be given to water policy in transnational
13.
spatial development strategies and in regional and local
structural action plans drawn up in the near future. Extra
attention should be paid to protection against flooding, both
to reinforcing the sea and inland water protection structures;

activities encouraging the sustainable use of water and
14.
of the aquatic environment. The main aim is to ensure more
sustainable use of water as an essential natural resource, and it
is therefore crucial to promote technologies to collect, treat
and distribute water while avoiding negative effects on the
ecosystem. Management of water distribution must also ensure
equal access for all to this resource. Furthermore policies
should be developed to ensure the highest level of protection
against pollution of sea and freshwater. Above all, ensuring
safe drinking water and the existence of good sanitary services
is the greatest priority for human health protection;

15. Member States of the European Union, which have not
yet reached the United Nations target of 0,7 % of GNP
in Official Development Assistance (ODA), to substantially
increase its share;

agriculture associated with a specific land area to be
16.
treated as an economic activity; without depleting the natural
goodness of the soil or polluting the environment through
over-fertilisation or use of non-biodegradable pesticides;

agriculture,

17.
respecting the principles of sustainable
development, to also be supported and given suitable financial
support as this would benefit the management of nature,
preservation of biodiversity and the landscape (more particu-
larly in fragile areas) as well as stimulating ecologically
sustainable farming and ensuring social cohesion in rural areas.
European agriculture should guarantee a high level of health
and food safety. There is a need to respect
the public
requirements of traceability and labelling;

20.
in all policy areas sufficient evaluation methods should
be developed in order to identify actual progress in the various
spheres of sustainable development on the basis of objective
criteria. The Committee of the Regions feels that the criteria
used should be specific, measurable, acceptable, realistic and
focusing on a specific period;

21.
sustainable development should be included as a central
theme of all new sectoral, regional and business plans financed
through the EC budget. Those responsible for regional and
local authorities should engage in dialogue with the business
community and encourage sustainable investment;

22.
economic measures and environmental fiscal and tax
policy are fundamentally important instruments, not just
in relation to environmental
issues, but also for regional
development in order to promote a more rational use of
resources and less harmful emissions, and to finance equal
access to the public goods necessary for sustainable develop-
ment;

a balanced approach to be adopted in combining good
23.
social conditions with high productivity and high quality of
goods and services. The underlying principle should be that
more and better employment in a dynamic and competitive
economy strengthens social cohesion;

active citizen participation should be supported in social
24.
and environmental change; efforts in the field of education
and public information campaigns are crucial. Education and

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training following a life-long learning approach should be seen
as key instruments in developing a skilled workforce, a core
element of sustainable economic and social development;

25. more attention must be paid to shaping a sustainable
living environment, including the sustainable use of forests,
urban living areas and the working environment;

26.
the concept of local agenda 21, as introduced by the Rio
Agenda, must be continued and strengthened. The good
practice in thousands of European villages, towns and counties
proves that this instrument helps municipalities to achieve a
sustainable development which integrates the economy, social
relations and the environment, and at the same time encour-

ages dialogue with, and the active participation of,
citizens;

local

the agenda 21 process, which is generally considered to
27.
be a process of dialogue within society, should be carefully
monitored. It is necessary to develop a social learning and
creative process as well as new ways of steering social co-
existence and new instruments of cooperation, which point
beyond the traditional and mostly bureaucratic and regulative
governmental procedures.

The CoR instructs its President to forward this resolution to
the European Commission, to the European Parliament, to the
Council and to the Spanish and Danish Presidencies of the
Union.

Brussels, 16 May 2002.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Albert BORE