Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - The World Summit on Sustainable Development one year on: implementing our commitments {SEC(2003) 1471}
Date: 2003-12-23
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, conservation of resources, durable goods, international trade, mode of production, poverty, sustainable development

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 23.12.2003
COM(2003) 829 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The World Summit on Sustainable Development one year on:
implementing our commitments

{SEC(2003) 1471}

EN

  EN

1. 

INTRODUCTION

The  Johannesburg  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  (WSSD)  was  held  in
September 2002, with the participation of  some  100  world  leaders  and  representatives  from
193  countries.  Stakeholders  mobilised  more  than  8000  participants  from  NGOs,  businesses
and other groups.

The  WSSD  reaffirmed  the  Rio  Principles,  Agenda  21  and  the  Programme  for  the  Further
Implementation  of  Agenda  21.  By  putting  strong  emphasis  on  implementation,  the  WSSD
sought  to  revitalise  the  spirit  of  Rio.  In  doing  so,  the  Summit  maintained  sustainable
development high on the international political agenda.

Together with the Millennium Development Goals,1 the Doha Development Agenda and the
Monterrey Consensus, the outcome of the WSSD is one of the essential building blocks of a
worldwide partnership for sustainable development. Its overarching objectives are:

– 

– 

– 

to eradicate poverty

to achieve sustainable patterns of production and consumption

to  protect  the  natural  resources  on  which  the  economic  and  social  development  of
future generations will be based.

Globalisation  is  both  a  reality  and  a  steady  process.  It  has  the  potential  to  deliver  large
benefits in terms of wealth, trade, cultural interchange and, ultimately, peace, if it is properly
harnessed.  The  European  Commission  believes  that  this  requires  strong  institutions  at
international  level  to  ensure  proper  governance  and  participation  by  all.  Support  for
multilateralism in the aftermath of the war in Iraq and at a difficult time for the International
Trade System is more necessary than ever.

Global institutions must deliver on the above objectives if they are to earn the trust of world
citizens.  We  need  to  make  progress  on  the  whole  of  the  global  agenda,  remembering  that
solutions  should  preferably  rely  on  mutually  supportive  moves  on  sustainability,  trade  and
finance in order to boost achievements and increase effectiveness.

The  EU  for  its  part  must  live  up  to  its  commitments  and  fulfil  the  ambitions  so  forcefully
stated in Johannesburg.

The EU can only do so through a joint effort. Member  States, the  European  Parliament and
other EU bodies as well as stakeholders must be all on board for the EU to successfully do its
homework.

The EU's general Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted by the European Council in
Göteborg in June 2001. At the same time as adopting this broader strategy the  Council  also
added an environmental dimension to the Lisbon Strategy on “Growth, Jobs and Prosperity”.
Finally, in March this year, the European Council agreed to add on some additional elements
to be included in the Sustainable Development Strategy as part of EU follow-up to WSSD.

1

The  Millennium  Declaration,  adopted  by  147  heads  of  state  and  189  states  of  the  United  Nations,
mainstreams  8  mutually  reinforcing  development  goals,  the  Millennium  Development  Goals,  and  18
related targets into the global development agenda.

2

 
                                                
The review of the Sustainable Development Strategy, foreseen for the start of the term for the
new  Commission,  will  be  the  main  vehicle  for  implementing  the  WSSD  commitments  and
thus  mainstream  the  external  dimension  of  sustainable  development  into  the  Strategy.  The
European Parliament, the Council as well as other EU bodies, will then have the opportunity
to play an active role and express their views in a wider debate on sustainable development.
The review will also include a broad consultation of stakeholders.

Without  prejudging  the  review  of  the  Sustainable  Development  Strategy  and  the  cross-
sectoral  headline  objectives  of  this  strategy,  this  communication  takes  stock  of  progress
achieved so far in implementing the WSSD commitments and outlines the actions undertaken
by the EU, both internally and externally in this regard.

2. 

THE WSSD MAIN TARGETS

The main outcomes of the WSSD are:

– 

– 

the  Johannesburg  Declaration  on  Sustainable  Development,  in  which  world  leaders
expressed their commitment to achieving universal prosperity and peace through the
reduction  of  poverty,  the  protection  of  our  planet’s  natural  resources  and  the
promotion of human development;

the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation, a blueprint for action laying down specific
time-bound targets.

Johannesburg  launched  more  than  200  partnerships,  including  the  EU’s  “Water  for  Life”,
“Energy  for  Poverty  Eradication  and  Sustainable  Development”  or  the  “Forest  Law
Enforcement,  Governance  and  Trade”  initiatives.  These  partnerships,  designed  as  tools  for
joint action by governments, international organisations and stakeholders, were essential steps
in moving from “words to deeds”.

The  Johannesburg  Summit  also  confirmed  the  international  community’s  support  for
multilateralism. World leaders reaffirmed their commitment to “the principles and purposes
of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, as well as to the strengthening of
multilateralism” and pledged jointly to address global sustainability challenges.

The  WSSD  adopted  a  number  of  new,  quantifiable  targets,  while  reaffirming  existing
international development goals, in particular the Millennium Development Goals.

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WSSD Main Targets

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

To  halve  the  proportion  of  people  without  access  to  safe  drinking  water  and  basic
sanitation by 2015.

To  increase  access  to  modern  energy  services,  energy  efficiency  and  the  use  of
renewable energy and support the target set out in the New Partnership for Africa’s
Development (NEPAD) to ensure energy access for at least 35% of Africans in the
next 20 years.

To  reverse  the  current  trend  in  natural  resource  degradation  as  soon  as  possible  by
implementing  strategies  that  include  targets  to  protect  ecosystems  and  achieve
integrated  management  of  land,  water  and  living  resources,  while  strengthening
regional, national and local capacities.

To reduce biodiversity loss significantly by 2010 and halt the decline in fish stocks.

To minimise the harmful effects of chemicals (especially by ensuring that, by 2020,
chemicals are not used in ways that harm human health and the environment).

To  develop  a  ten-year  framework  of  programmes  on  sustainable  consumption  and
production.

To start implementing sustainable development strategies by 2005 in all countries.

The EU went to Johannesburg with an ambitious platform, building upon the proposals made
by the Commission  in  its  Communication of February  2002  “Towards  a  Global  Partnership
for Sustainable Development”.2 The EU played a leading role in the WSSD negotiations and
pledged  to  go  further  than  multilaterally  agreed  commitments  in  a  number  of  areas  such  as
renewable energy.

The  EU  will  have  to  demonstrate  specifically  how  it  intends  to  live  up  to  its  global
commitments.  As  noted  in  the  Commission’s  2003  Synthesis  Report,3  delivering  on  the
commitments  will  require  a  long-term  effort,  focusing  on  policy  coherence,  sustainable
globalisation  and  sustainable  consumption  and  production  –  both  in  the  EU  and
internationally  –as  well  as  poverty  reduction,  including  resource  transfer.  The  EU  will
actively  engage  in  international  co-operation  and  multilateral  processes 
to  support
achievement of the WSSD targets.

In  the  EU,  the  basic  policy  framework  for  implementation  is  in  place.  In  March  2003,  the
European Council strengthened the EU Sustainable Development Strategy by defining a set of
priorities  for  EU  action  to  implement,  inter  alia,  the  political  ambitions  agreed  in
Johannesburg,  Doha  and  Monterrey.  In  fact  the  WSSD  outcome  is  in  the  process  of  being
internalised in the EU’s own domestic policy agenda.

2

3

COM(2002) 82 final.
The  yearly  Synthesis  Report  offers  the  European  Council  a  follow  up  on  progress  towards
implementing the Lisbon Strategy. COM(2003)5 final/2.

4

 
                                                
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Priorities agreed by the 2003 Spring Council

ensuring effective follow-up to the new goals and targets agreed in Johannesburg on
water and sanitation, the protection of the marine environment, depleted fish stocks,
chemicals and natural resources, including forests and biodiversity;

ensuring effective follow-up to the commitment made in Monterrey on the realisation
of the 0,7% target for official development aid;

enhancement  of  corporate  social  and  environmental  responsibility  both  at  EU  level
and internationally;

means of promoting sustainable and fair trade, notably through developing incentives
to  trade  in  sustainably  produced  goods  and  encouraging  export  credits  consistent
with sustainable development;

further  development  and  implementation  of  the  Union's  "Water  for  Life"  and
"Energy for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development" initiatives;

contributing  to  the  development  of  regional  sustainable  development  strategies,
building  for  example  on  the  experience  gained  in  the  context  of  the  EUROMED
process;

timely  elaboration  at  both  international  and  EU  level  of  the  10-year  framework  of
programmes  on  sustainable  consumption  and  production,  on  which  the  EU  should
take the lead;

strengthening  international  environmental  governance,  which  could  lead  to  the
upgrading of UNEP into a specialised UN agency with a broadly-based mandate on
environmental matters”.

Achieving  the  WSSD  targets  will  require  leadership  and  synergies  both  internally  and
externally,  so  as  to  avoid  adverse  impacts,  duplication  and  policy  clashes.  Improving
coherence  between  policies,  including  between  internal  and  external  policies  is  the  key
challenge to sustainable development both within the enlarged EU and at global level. In this
context  it  is  important  to  underline  that  there  is  a  close  relationship  between  the  follow-up
processes of all major UN Conferences and that the international community needs to avoid
the risk of double work and conflicting agendas.

Similarly, it is necessary to foster dialogue and cooperation with stakeholders within the EU,
and with partners outside the EU, particularly developing countries, where it is important to
raise awareness and promote the integration of sustainability challenges into development and
poverty reduction strategies.

The  European  Commission,  building  on  the  work  of  the  task  force  on  sustainable
development  indicators  is  developing  a  comprehensive  assessment  and  reporting  system
based on specific indicators. Priorities coming from the WSSD implementation constitute an
integral part of the framework for indicators, which is the basis for this system.

5

 
3. 

INTERNAL ASPECTS

It is essential is to achieve more policy coherence, partly by assessing the various internal and
external  impacts  of  EU  policy  proposals.  Sustainable  management  of  natural  resources  and
promotion of sustainable consumption and production are also essential for implementation of
WSSD  goals  in  the  EU.  Finally,  the  enlargement  of  the  EU  constitutes  one  important,  self-
standing contribution to sustainable development.

3.1. 

Coherence: EU Sustainable Development Strategy and external spill-overs.

Policy coherence is a  challenging  concept which encompasses  several  dimensions.4
There  is  scope  for  improving  internal  policy  coherence  notably  by  furthering  the
integration of sustainability goals into EU policies. Also, domestic EU policies may
have  “spill-over”  effects  on  other  countries  and  may  thereby  undermine  the
objectives of EU policies there, notably in the area of development cooperation. Both
aspects  (i.e.  ensuring  internal  policy  coherence  and  preventing  detrimental  impacts
outside  the  EU)  were  taken  into  account  in  a  variety  of  EU  policies  such  as  –inter
alia- agriculture, fisheries, transports or energy:

(cid:1)  The  recently  agreed  2003  reform  of  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  (CAP)
achieves  a  major  shift  towards  a  sustainable  agricultural  model  for  Europe  and
moves  away  from  trade-distorting  production-based  subsidies.  It  promotes  more
sustainable farming thanks to decoupling support from production, codes of good
practices,  eco-conditionality,  rural  development  measures  and  supervision
mechanisms.  It  foresees compliance  with  environmental,  food  safety  and  animal
welfare  requirements.  This  should  notably  impact  positively  on  maintenance  of
soil  fertility,  protection  of  biodiversity,  semi-natural  habitats  and  landscapes,  as
well as improve eco-efficiency in input use.

(cid:1)  The  proposed  reform  of  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy  will  lead  to  the
development  of  an  ecosystem  approach  to  fisheries  that  respects  safe  biological
limits,  and  to  the  removal  of  capacity-enhancing  subsidies.  The  December  2002
Communication  on  the  Community’s  Fisheries  Partnership  Agreements  (FPAs)5
recognised  the  need  to  ensure  coherence  with  development  objectives  and  to
contribute to the sustainable management of fish stocks at global level.

(cid:1)  The actions outlined in the Green Paper on Energy and Security of Supply6 and in
the  White  Paper  on  European  Transport  Policy  for  20107  should  also  help  to
achieve  increased  coherence  in  both  policy  areas  through  better  integration  of
sustainability  requirements.  The  latter  includes  a  series  of  proposals  to  address
detrimental  environmental  impacts  and  to  prevent  traffic  congestion.  The
implementation  of  these  measures  will  make  a  substantial  contribution  to
sustainable  development.  The 
that  are
removal  of  energy 
environmentally harmful also remains an important priority.

subsidies 

4

5

6

7

See  Commission  Communication  “Towards  a  Global  Partnership  for  Sustainable  Development”
COM(2002) 82 final and the 2003 Environmental Policy Review.
Communication from the Commission on an integrated framework for fisheries partnerships agreements
with third countries, COM(2002) 637 final.
COM (2000) 769 final.
COM (2001) 370 final.

6

 
                                                
(cid:1)  Measures  taken  under  regional  and  cohesion  policy  can  also  have  a  significant
impact on land and natural resources. They therefore have to be accompanied by
an assessment of their environmental impact.

(cid:1)  Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices can contribute to the objectives of
EU  policies,  particularly  sustainable  development,  by  supplementing  existing
policy  tools  such  as  trade  and  development  agreements.  A  priority  area  of  the
Strategy to promote CSR is its integration into community policies8.

In addition to policy developments, a horizontal instrument for assessing the impact
of  all  major  Commission  policy  proposals9  has  been  set  up.  This  new  mechanism
will  make  a  decisive  contribution  towards  improving  coherence  by  allowing
upstream analysis in the decision-making process  of  potential  economic,  social  and
environmental effects, including on third countries.

The importance of integrating environmental protection requirements into other EU
policies,  with  a  view  to  promoting  sustainable  development,  is  recognised  in
Article 6  of  the  Treaty.  In  June  1998,  the  Cardiff  European  Council  requested
different  Council  formations  to  prepare  strategies  and  programmes  aimed  at
integrating environmental considerations into their respective policy areas (industry,
internal market, development, fisheries, energy, transport, agriculture, general affairs,
economic  and  financial  affairs  or  information  and  lifelong  learning).  This  process
needs  to  be  reinvigorated  as  underscored  by  the  European  Council  in  March  2003
and the 2003 Environment Policy Review.

In  the  context  of  the  Strategy  for  Sustainable  Development  and  of  the  Charter  of
Fundamental  Rights  of  the  EU  proclaimed  in  Nice  in  December  2000,  the  EU  is
committed  to  fully  integrate  economic,  social  and  environmental  considerations,  as
well as fundamental rights including core labour standards and gender equality, into
its  policies  and  actions,  with  due  respect  to  both  their  internal  and  external
dimensions.

The commitment towards integration of sustainability concerns into external policies
was  reaffirmed  by  the  Thessaloniki  European  Council  in  June  2003.  EU  leaders
agreed to set up a “Green Diplomacy Network” whose work was to be instrumental
in implementing the RELEX Integration Strategy adopted in March 2002. It should
also help to make more effective use of EU diplomacy in support of its environment
and sustainable development agenda.

In October 2003, the Commission and Member States have established a senior level
informal network on coherence in the area of development cooperation. The network
will foster capacity building and co-ordination and set concrete targets for  work  on
coherence.  The  participants  will  alert  each  other  on  policy  initiatives  with
implications for development cooperation and spot incoherencies where they exist.

8

9

Communication from the Commission on “Corporate Social Responsibility: A business contribution to
sustainable development”, COM(2002) 347.
Communication from the Commission on Impact Assessment - COM(2002) 276 final.

7

 
                                                
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Ongoing EU activities

Improvement  of  policy  coherence  at  EU  and  Member  State  level  to
improve synergies while avoiding detrimental impacts both within the EU
and in third countries.

Implementation of  the  reform  of  the Common  Agriculture  Policy  decided
in 2003 and continuation of the reform process for the leftover agricultural
sectors.

Implementation of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Integration  of  environment  into  other  policy  areas  where  environmental
pressures  are  particularly  high  such  as  transport,  energy  and  industry  and
reinvigoration of the Cardiff process.

Assessment of economic, social and environmental impacts of major policy
proposals and of trade negotiations.

Improvement of the integration of CSR principles into EU policies, where
appropriate.

Launching of the Green Diplomacy Network, in line with the Thessaloniki
European Council conclusions, and of the informal coherence  network on
development cooperation, in line with art. 179 EC Treaty.

3.2. 

Sustainable management of the natural resource base

The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation states that to “reverse the current trend in
natural resource degradation […] it is necessary to implement strategies to protect
ecosystems  and  to  achieve  integrated  management  of  land,  water  and  living
resources.”

Although  the  EU  already  has  a  broad  range  of  measures  aimed  at  achieving
sustainable  management  of  natural  resources  (e.g.  biodiversity,  water  and  land),
further action is required to meet the Johannesburg targets and is planned in a variety
of fields.

At the WSSD, all countries committed themselves to “significantly reducing the rate
of  biodiversity  loss  by  2010”.  The  EU  went  even  further  by  setting  up  a  more
ambitious target: to halt the decline of biodiversity by 2010. In order to achieve this
target,  the  European  Commission  has  launched  a  broad  consultative  review  of  EU
biodiversity  policy  and  will  make  recommendations  for  a  set  of  priority  measures,
which  will  include  actors  and  timeframes,  and  will  also  identify  the  resources
needed.  Specific  biodiversity  action  plans  have  already  been  established  in  some
sectors  (agriculture,  development,  fisheries  etc.).  Biodiversity  implementation
indicators  are  being  developed  in  cooperation  with  the  European  Environment
Agency.

8

 
two  Communications,  “Towards  a  strategy 

As  oceans  and  soils  are  crucial  reservoirs  of  biodiversity,  the  Commission  has
the  marine
adopted 
environment”  and  “Towards  a  thematic  strategy  for  soil  protection”.10  The  actions
proposed 
the  basis  for  developing
comprehensive soil and marine strategies.11

these  communications  will  provide 

to  protect 

in 

The Commission has recently outlined a new strategy to promote the sustainable use
of resources.12 This  strategy  will  tackle  resource  use  in  a  fully  comprehensive  way
and focus on the environmental impacts of  resource use, with a view to decoupling
economic  growth  from  environmental  degradation.  Its  three  key  objectives  will  be
gathering  information  and  keeping  it  updated,  assessing  policies  that  directly  or
indirectly affect resources, and identifying appropriate measures. The purpose of the
actions implemented will be to examine the whole lifecycle of our natural resources
from  entry  into  the  economy  to  return  to  soil,  air,  and  water,  and  to  identify  the
resource  usages  with  the  greatest  potential  for  environmental  improvement,  taking
into account technological possibilities and socio-economic aspects.

Ongoing EU activities.

– 

– 

Review of the EU’s biodiversity policy and develop action plans on marine
and soils strategies.

Development of a strategy to promote a more sustainable use of resources.

3.3. 

Sustainable consumption and production

The  Johannesburg  Plan  of  Implementation  includes  a  commitment  to  “promote
sustainable  consumption  and  production  patterns,  with  developed  countries  taking
the lead and with all countries benefiting from the process”.

A  broad  mix  of  policies  and  tools  to  promote  sustainable  consumption  and
production, addressing both the supply and the demand side, is already in place in the
EU.  These  include,  for  example,  Integrated  Pollution  Prevention  and  Control
(IPPC),13  the  EU  Eco-Management  and  Audit  Scheme  (EMAS),14  the  EU  Eco-
label15,  the  new  community  framework  for  taxation  of  energy  products  and
electricity and the Integrated Product Policy (IPP).16

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

Commission Communication – Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, COM(2002) 179 final,
16  April  2002  and  Commission  Communication  –  Towards  a  Strategy  to  protect  and  conserve  the
marine environment, COM(2002) 539 final, 2 October 2002.
The 2003 Environment Policy Review contains a description of the state of preparation of the various
thematic strategies under the 6th EAP.
“Towards a Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources”, COM(2003) 572.
Council  Directive  96/61/EC  of  24  September  1996  concerning  integrated  pollution  prevention  and
control.
Regulation  (EC)  No  761/2001  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  19  March  2001
allowing  voluntary  participation  by  organisations  in  a  Community  eco-management  and  audit
scheme (EMAS).
Regulation  (EC)  No  1980/2000  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  17  July  2000  on  a
revised Community Eco-label Award Scheme
Integrated product policy, building on environmental life cycle thinking, COM(2003) 302.

9

 
                                                
In  key  sectors  like  transport  and  energy,  there  exist  a  number  of  initiatives  to
promote  energy  saving  and  efficiency  (e.g.  energy  performance  of  buildings,
combined  heat  and  power  production),  targets  for  renewable  energy  in  electricity
generation and motor fuels, and measures to shift the transport of goods to rail and
waterborne transport. Also, waste is managed through a body of legislation based on
three  principles  -  prevention,  recycling  and  reuse  –  and  aimed  at  improving  final
disposal and monitoring.

Corporate  social  responsibility  can  also  make  a  positive  contribution  to  sustainable
consumption  and  production  as  it  has  partly  evolved  in  response  to  consumer
demands  and  expectations.  Consumers, 
their  purchasing  behaviour,  are
increasingly  demanding  for  information  and  reassurance  that  their  wider  interests
such as environmental and social concerns are being taken into account in production
and marketing conditions and companies are increasingly sensitive to these demands.
As a response to this, a growing number of social, fair trade and environmental labels
have  originated  from  individual  manufacturers  (self  declared  labels),  industrial
sectors, NGOs or public authorities.

in 

However,  environmental  gains  achieved  through  implementation  of  legislative
measures, voluntary instruments, technology and innovation are sometimes offset by
growth in consumption.

Considering the broad range of policies and instruments already available in the EU,
work on sustainable consumption and production should not attempt to reinvent the
wheel. Instead, it should build on existing initiatives, focusing on those sectors where
trends are worsening. It is particularly important to develop various policy measures,
including  market  based  instruments  such  as  environmentally  related  taxes  and
incentives, to better reflect environmental externalities in the pricing of products and
services  as  well  as  focused  information  and  lifelong  learning  actions  to  raise
awareness for changes in consumption and production patterns.

Most  emissions  from  transport  (lead,  sulphur,  CO,  NOx,  VOC,  particulates)  are
declining. However, CO2  emissions are  an exception. A number of measures, such
as  improved  fuel  efficiency,  alternative  motor  fuels  and  modal  shift  should  help
change the present trend. It is also necessary to ensure that the environmental costs of
road  transport  are  better  taken  into  account,  notably  through  the  development  of  a
Community  framework  for  pricing  transport  infrastructure,  as  proposed  by  the
Commission.17

17

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 1999/62/EC
on the charging of heavy goods vehicles for the use of certain infrastructures, COM(2003) 448 final

10

 
                                                
As  for  overall  emissions  of  greenhouse  gases,  which  largely  originate  from  the
energy  sector  and  from  energy  use  in  other  sectors  (transport,  industry,  etc.),  the
latest official data  (from 2001) show a 2.3% decline  from 1990. So if the EU  is to
achieve  its  Kyoto  target  there  needs  to  be  an  average  annual  decline  of  0.6%  until
2012. This will require additional measures, as well as some support from the Kyoto
mechanisms,  i.e.  emissions  trading,  Joint  Implementation  and  Clean  Development
Mechanisms.  It  is  worrying,  however,  that  a  declining  trend  from  the  mid/late
nineties has turned into an increasing trend at the beginning of this decade. Measures
identified  in  the  European  Climate  Change  Programme,18  established  in  mid-2000,
are  at  different  stages  of  preparation  or  implementation  and  should  help  to  put  the
greenhouse gas emission profile back on track for 2008-2012 and beyond.

Consistent  with  this,  the  second  assessment  report  of  the  ECCP19  pointed  to  the
importance  of  implementation  and  monitoring.  An  area  that  deserves  particular
attention is that of renewable energy, where Member States have demonstrated very
different  levels  of  progress  towards  contributing  to  the  achievement  of  the  overall
EU target of 12% renewables by 2010 or the specific targets for renewables by 2010
in electricity or biofuels. The use of renewable energies and biofuels is expected to
increase  after  1/1/2004,  the  date  when  the  new  directive  on  taxation  of  energy
products and electricity enters into force, as it includes provisions for lower taxation
and  more  flexible  use  of  fiscal  measures  for  such  energy  products  and  electricity.
Reporting obligations will allow the Commission in the near future to identify more
precisely those Member States that might put the overall policy at risk.

As  far  as  chemicals  are  concerned,  the  new  EU  chemicals  policy,  REACH20,  will
make a decisive contribution towards meeting the WSSD goal to ensure the “sound
management  of  chemicals  throughout  their  life  cycle”.  The  main  objective  of
REACH  is  to  ensure  a  high  level  of  protection  for  human  health  and  the
environment,  while  preserving  and  enhancing  the  competitiveness  of  the  chemicals
sector.

The  development  of  environmental  technologies  should  play  an  increasingly
important part in the EU’s strategy towards sustainable consumption and production.
The  Environment  Technology  Action  Plan  (ETAP)  will  set  up  a  framework  for
promoting  the  development  and  use  of  environmental  technologies,  through  the
removal of market obstacles and the introduction of market based solutions, as well
as through incentives such as investment grants, environmental taxation, phasing out
of  direct  or  implicit  subsidies  to  polluting  technologies  and  other  market  and
institutional  barriers  which  currently  hinder  technological  innovation.  The  White
paper  on  European  Space  Policy  proposes  action  for  the  use  of  space  technologies
and Earth observation in the context of CAP reform, management of water resources
and monitoring of the tropical forest.

18

19

20

Communication  from  the  Commission  on  “EU  policies  and  measures  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas
emissions: towards a European Climate Change Programme”, COM(2000) 88.
Second European Climate Change Programme Progress Report, April 2003,
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/eccp.htm
REACH, “Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals” COM(2003) 644.

11

 
                                                
Ongoing EU activities

– 

– 

– 

– 

Implementation and development of existing measures  and instruments to
provide  incentives  for  more  sustainable  products  and  services  and  to
internalise  social  and  environmental  externalities.  This  includes  inter  alia
objective,  transparent and non-discriminatory  voluntary  labelling  schemes
based  on  ILO  core  conventions  or  recognised  environmental  standards  as
well  as  support  to  developing  countries  to  use  those  schemes,  including
through  capacity  building  and  by  supporting  efforts  to  include  the
transparency, availability and non-discrimination of schemes.

Focus  on  sectors  where  emissions  continue  to  grow,  especially  transport
and energy.

Reform of chemicals policy.

Support  to  the  development  and  use  of  environmental  technologies,  inter
alia,  by  implementing  the  actions  put  forward  in  the  Environmental
Technology Action Plan.

3.4. 

The contribution of Enlargement to sustainable development

The Commission Communication “Ten  years after Rio: preparing for the WSSD in
2002”  21  stated  that  “the  enlargement  of  the  European  Union  may  in  fact  be  the
biggest  single  contribution  to  global  sustainable  development  that  the  EU  can
make.”

On  1  May  2004  the  EU  will  welcome  its  new  Member  States:  Cyprus,  Czech
Republic, Estonia, Hungary,  Latvia,  Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic and
Slovenia.  As  from  accession  all  these  countries  will  be  bound  to  enforce  and
implement  EU  legislation  and  policies.  Bulgaria,  Romania  and  Turkey  will  also
continue  to  align  their  legislation  with  that  of  the  EU  as  part  of  their  accession
process.

Enlargement has helped the acceding  countries, which  will be  fully  involved in the
implementation  of  the  EU  Sustainable  Development  Strategy  and  of  the  Lisbon
Strategy, to meet the WSSD Plan of Implementation targets and objectives in various
sectors such as social policy, environment, development, and many others.

In  the  field  of  environment  for  instance,  new  Member  States  have  adopted  EU
standards  and  made  considerable  efforts,  with  the  support  of  EU  instruments,  to
upgrade  their  environmental  infrastructure.  They  have  inter  alia  ratified  the  Kyoto
protocol,  improved  the  quality  of  drinking  water  and  sewage  treatment,  extended
measures for nature protection (through the Natura 2000 network) and aligned with
EU chemicals legislation.

New  member  States  have  also  brought  their  development  policy  in  line  with  EU
development  policy  and  taken  on  board  the  various  commitments  of  the  EU
development acquis.

21

COM(2001) 53.

12

 
                                                
through  existing 

With  enlargement,  the  EU  will  also  acquire  new  neighbours  in  eastern  and  south-
regional  and  sub-regional
eastern  Europe.  Co-operation 
frameworks,  and  through  bilateral  partnerships  between  the  EU  and  its  other
neighbours  in  South-eastern  Europe,  the  NIS  and  the  Mediterranean  basin,  will
become  increasingly  important22.  The  reinforced  relationship  between  the  EU  and
other  neighbouring  countries  has  become  a  very  significant  driving  force  in
promoting  sustainable  development  and  raising  environmental  standards.  This  has
resulted in co-operation on  key  issues  such  as climate  change  for  instance,  and has
boosted environmental investment on the continent.

In May 2003, the Environment for Europe Conference in Kiev emphasised the need
for follow-up to the WSSD at regional level  and  agreed on  targets and priorities to
implement  the  JPOI  within  the  UNECE  area.  Following  this  Conference,  the
Commission  outlined  its  views  on  future  environmental  co-operation  between  the
enlarged  EU  and 
its  communication  on  Pan-European
Environmental Co-operation.

its  neighbours 

in 

Ongoing EU activities

– 

– 

– 

– 

Harmonisation  with  the  environmental  and  social  acquis  in  the  new
Member States subject to transitional arrangements.

Support  to new Member  States to implement the acquis,  through  relevant
Community instruments.

Alignment  of  the  new  members  with  the  objectives  of  EU  development
policy

Intensified  environmental  focus  on  new  neighbours  in  the  context  of  the
Wider Europe Strategy.

4. 

EXTERNAL ASPECTS

4.1. 

Poverty reduction

The  Johannesburg  Plan  of  Implementation  states  that  “Eradicating  poverty  is  the
greatest global challenge facing the world today and an  indispensable requirement
for  sustainable  development,  particularly  for  developing  countries”.  Meeting  the
Millennium Development Goal of halving extreme poverty by 2015 is indeed a huge
challenge which requires efforts in several fields, by all countries and at all levels.

The WSSD confirmed that protecting the environment and ensuring  the sustainable
management  of  the  natural  resources base  should be seen  as  an  integral  part  of  the
poverty reduction agenda. Degradation of natural resources  can significantly hinder
efforts at poverty reduction and economic development. Also, the poor are very often
the worst hit by environmental deterioration and suffer most from lack of access to
basic services like clean water supply and sanitation.

22

Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  -  Wider  Europe  -
Neighbourhood:  A  New  Framework  for  Relations  with  our  Eastern  and  Southern  Neighbours,
COM(2003) 104. A forthcoming “Wider Europe Package” is to be adopted in spring 2004.

13

 
                                                
The outcome of the International Conference on Financing for Development held in
Monterrey  in  March  2002  (“The  Monterrey  Consensus”)  recognised  that  achieving
the  internationally  agreed  goals,  including  those  contained  in  the  Millennium
Declaration,  demands  a  new  partnership  between  developed  and  developing
countries.

This new partnership requires action by developing countries to improve governance,
particularly  through  the  establishment  of  sound  economic  policies  and  solid
democratic  institutions  responsive  to  the  needs  of  the  people.  For  developed
countries,  it  means,  inter  alia,  efforts  to  expand  trade  opportunities  for  developing
countries, increased official development assistance (ODA), and debt relief.

In February 2001 the EU adopted its “Everything but Arms” initiative granting tariff
and quota free access to the EU market for Least Developed Countries.

At  the  Barcelona  European  Council  in  March  2002,  the  EU  undertook  eight
commitments23  as  its  contribution  to  the  Monterrey  International  Conference  on
Financing for Development (Mexico, 18-22 March 2002).

As  requested  by  the  General  Affairs  and  External  Relations  Council  in  November
2002,  the  Commission  has  been  asked  to  closely  monitor  implementation  of  these
commitments. The first report was issued in May 200324. On the volume of Official
development  Assistance  (ODA),  it  states  that,  despite  a  difficult  budgetary
background,  implementation  is  advancing.  However,  major  efforts  still  need  to  be
made to meet the self-imposed obligations. In 2002, eight Member States had already
met the target of 0.33% ODA/GNI and, in 2003, ten Member States will reach this
objective. The accession of ten new Member States is an additional challenge and a
new  opportunity.  The  acceding  countries  will  emerge  as  new  donors,  but  most  of
them  will  be  very  far  from  the  0.33%  target  at  the  time  of  accession.  The
Commission is currently preparing a new report for the Spring of 2004, which could
include additional proposals based on the Barcelona Commitments.

On the remaining commitments, there is also a  consensus among Member States to
move  doing  more  to  coordinate  development  cooperation  policies  and  harmonise
procedures  to  take  further  steps  to  untie  aid,  to  make  the  necessary  provisions  to
ensure  Member  State  participation  in  the  HIPC  (Heavily  Indebted  Poor  Country)
initiative,  as  well  as  to  work  further  on  the  issue  of  Global  Public  Goods  and
innovative  sources  of  financing.  Member  States  are  also  committed  to  enhance  the
efforts in the area of Trade Related  Assistance (TRA) as well  as  to  advance on the
reform of International Financial Institutions.

23

24

The Monterrey commitments deal with the volume of official development assistance, coordination and
harmonisation,  untying  of  aid,  trade-related  technical  assistance,  global  public  goods,  innovative
sources of financing, reform of the international financial system and debt relief.
SEC(2003) 569

14

 
                                                
In addition to those developments at policy level, the EC is already supporting some
practical  work  on  implementation  of  WSSD  commitments.  From  the  budget  line
“environment in developing countries”, more than 9 million € will be made available
from  2003  and  2002  budgets  for  projects  addressing  the  sound  management  of
chemicals, the interaction of trade and environment and forest governance. The call
for  proposals  launched  under  the  same  budget  line  will  provide  another  65  million
for  work  largely  related  to  various  WSSD  commitments.  Field  work  will  start  in
2004.

Ongoing EU activities

– 

– 

Work  to  ensure  timely  delivery  of  the  eight  Monterrey  commitments,
including  on  increasing  the  volume  of  Official  Development  Assistance
(ODA).

Annual  monitoring  of  follow-up  to  commitments,  as  decided  by  the
General Affairs & External Relations Council of May 2003

4.2.  Water, energy and forest initiatives

At  the  WSSD,  the  EC  jointly  with  the  Member  States  launched  the  “EU  Energy
Initiative  for  Poverty  Eradication  and  Sustainable  Development”  (EUEI),  the  “EU
Water  for  Life  Initiative”  (EUWI),  and  the  “Action  Plan  for  Forest  Law
Enforcement, Governance and Trade”.

The  energy  initiative  aims  at  improving  access  to  adequate,  sustainable  and
affordable  energy  services  in  rural,  peri-urban  and  urban  areas  in  order  to  reduce
poverty  and  support  achievement  of  the  other  Millennium  Development  Goals
(MDGs).  The  EU  Water  Initiative  aims  at  contributing  to  the  implementation  of
MDGs and WSSD targets on water and sanitation. The Forest Action Plan is mainly
intended  to  combat  illegal  logging.  These  initiatives  are  designed  as  multi-
stakeholder partnerships involving Member States, the EC, the EIB, civil society and
the private sector.

The first year of the initiatives has seen the establishment of a consensus within the
EU on future direction and approaches, and of an initial dialogue with beneficiaries
and  stakeholders.  Early  moves  are  being  made  to  develop  practical  measures  at
country  level.  The  EUEI  and  EUWI  secretariats  are  hosted  by  the  European
Commission  and  activities  under  the  initiatives  are  undertaken  by  the  EC  and  the
Member  States,  or  jointly  between  them.  Both  initiatives  have  a  strong  focus  on
Africa, while they are also being developed in other regions. The two initiatives also
build on the development of innovative private-public partnerships.

15

 
(including  cleaner,  more  efficient 

Actions  being  developed  under  the  energy  initiative  include  rural  electrification,
development of decentralised energy systems, increased use of renewable energy and
enhanced  energy  efficiency 
fuel
technologies,  technology  for  more  efficient  appliances  and  more  efficient  use  of
traditional  biomass).  The  main  thematic  components  of  the  Initiative  have  been
agreed  with  Member  States  and  include  energy  policy  development,  institutional
capacity  building  and  technical  co-operation,  cross-sectoral  planning,  market
development,  and  co-operation  with  financial  institutions.  A  working  group  is
developing financial strategies, and Member States are contributing to other aspects
of the EUEI.

fossil 

In  the  field  of  energy,  the  development  of  the  Johannesburg  Renewable  Energy
Coalition is crucial. Under this initiative, the 82 countries that have so far joined the
coalition  have  agreed  to  set  targets  and  timeframes  for  increasing  the  share  of
renewable energies in their overall energy mix, thus going beyond the commitments
in the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation.

A  key  priority  is  to  create  synergies  between  the  EU  Energy  Initiative  for  Poverty
Eradication  and  Sustainable  Development  and  other  relevant  initiatives  -  e.g.  the
Johannesburg  Renewable  Energy  Coalition  (JREC),  the  Global  Village  Energy
Partnership  (GVEP),  the  Global  Network  on  Energy  for  Sustainable  Development
(GNESD), and the 2004 Bonn World Conference on Renewable Energies. Forming
strategic alliances with these and other players will be important.

In  order  to  improve  energy  service  provision  in  developing  countries,  international
private  investment,  leveraged  by  ODA,  must  also  increase.  Another  crucial  aspect
will  be for national  and  regional  strategies  to  recognise  the  essential  importance  of
energy  provision  in  achieving  poverty  reduction  and  the  other  MDGs.  Given  the
complex inter-relationships of energy and other key development sectors, there is a
need for a significant upstream effort to integrate  energy into national Country and
Regional Strategy Papers (CSPs and RSPs).

The main objectives of the water initiative are to reinforce political commitment to
action and raise the profile of water and sanitation with a view to reducing poverty,
to promote better governance and integrated water resources management, including
of transboundary waters, to improve co-ordination and to develop additional funding
mechanisms.  The  EUWI  has  established  a  strong  working  partnership  with  the
African  Ministerial  Council  on  Water  (AMCOW)  and  the  New  Partnership  for
Africa's Development (NEPAD), is active in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central
Asia  (EECCA),  and  has  initiated  components  for  the  Mediterranean  and  Latin
America. For each region in which the Water Initiative is active, priorities have been
established,  with  water  supply  and  sanitation  as  well  as  integrated  water  resources
management  as  core  themes  in  all  regions.  Finance,  research  and  monitoring  have
also  been  identified  as  cross-cutting  components  relevant  to  all  regions.  Working
groups and a lead Member State have been established for each component.

16

 
On  water,  next  steps  should  include  the  establishment  of  flexible  and  innovative
funding  mechanisms.  The  European  Commission  has  proposed25  the  creation  of  an
ACP-EU  Water  Facility,  dedicated  to  the  Water  Initiative,  amounting  to  a  billion
euros  from  the  European  Development  Fund.  The  facility  should  act  as  a  catalyst,
attracting  other  sources  of  financing.  The  Commission  is  now  preparing  a  new
Communication  on  the  specific  procedural  arrangements  to  be  discussed  by  the
relevant EU Council bodies and the ACP-EC Council of Ministers. If approved, the
ACP-EU  Water  Facility  would  help  to  implement  the  EU-African  Strategic
partnership signed at Heads of State level in Johannesburg.

Building  on  the  involvement  of  beneficiary  governments  and  stakeholders  will  be
essential  to  the  success  of  the  initiatives,  which  are  based  on  ownership  by
beneficiary countries and have adopted a bottom-up, demand-driven approach. Two
high-level  conferences  offered  the  opportunity  to  pursue  the  dialogue  with  all
stakeholders:  in  Nairobi  in  November  2003  for  the  Energy  Initiative,  and  the  Pan
African  Water  Conference  in  Addis-Ababa  in  December  2003  for  the  Water
Initiative.

To  stop  illegal  logging  and  trade  in  illegally  harvested  wood,  the  Commission,  in
May 2003, published  an EU  Action Plan  for  Forest  Law Enforcement,  Governance
and  Trade  (FLEGT),26  setting  out  a  package  of  measures  which  link  governance
reforms  in  producer  countries  with  the  legal  framework  of  the  internal  EU  market.
The Action Plan involves a series of voluntary (but binding) partnerships agreements
with wood-producing countries and regions. Through these partnerships, the EU and
partner countries will set up a licensing scheme to ensure that all timber exports to
Europe are legal. The partnerships will also encourage governance reforms in wood-
producing  countries,  particularly  to  promote  greater  equity  and  transparency  in
association  with  forest  harvesting  operations.  A  key  to  the  success  of  all  three
initiatives will be the continued and strengthened support and active involvement of
Member States in the process.

Ongoing EU activities

– 

– 

– 

– 

Provision  of  adequate  financing  for  the  initiatives  through,  inter  alia,  the
upstream  support  of  private  public  partnerships,  and  adoption  of  the
Commission’s proposal to implement the ACP-EU Water Facility.

Intensified  dialogue  with  stakeholders  and  beneficiaries  at  national  and
regional  level,  including  through  further  involvement  with  NEPAD,  to
highlight  the  role  of  water,  energy  and  forests  in  national  and  regional
poverty strategies.

Development of ownership among stakeholders and beneficiary countries.

Work  towards  greater  synergies  between  the  EU  initiatives  and  other
relevant initiatives.

25

26

“Establishment of an EU Water Fund”, COM(2003) 211, 23.4.2003.
Commission  Communication  on  “Forest  Law  Enforcement,  Governance  and  Trade,  proposal  for  an
EU Action Plan”, COM(2003) 251 final.

17

 
                                                
4.3. 

Sustainable globalisation and trade

The objective of the European Union’s sustainable development strategy in relation
to  globalisation 
inclusive  and  equitable,  as  well  as
is 
environmentally and socially sustainable.

to  make 

it  more 

The  EU’s  stance  in  Johannesburg  was  that  a  good  outcome  of  the  WSSD  could
support  a  sustainable  outcome  of  the  Doha  Development  Agenda  negotiations,  but
also that trade policy could do more to contribute to global sustainable development
outside the scope of Doha, through positive and supportive action. The WSSD Plan
of Implementation confirms both aspects.

The EU’s follow-up to the WSSD commitments on trade and globalisation seeks:

– 

– 

– 

– 

to  reinforce  a  pro-development  outcome  of  the  Doha  Development  Agenda
across the board

to  enhance  the  contribution  of  trade  to  sustainable  development  through
complementary actions

to  ensure  the  mutual  supportiveness  of  trade  and  environment  and  the  social
dimension of globalisation

to  foster  interaction  and  co-operation  between  the  WTO  and  relevant
international  organisations  in  support  of  the  common  objective  of  sustainable
development.

The  Doha  Development  Agenda  has  the  potential  to  bring  benefits  to  all  and  to
contribute  to  address  the  needs  of  developing  countries,  to  contribute  to  good
governance as well as to deal with the interface between trade and environment. The
setback  in  the  Cancun  ministerial  meeting  does  not  challenge  these  objectives  but
underlines  that  they  should  be  given  an  even  stronger  focus.  The  Commission  has
recently  issued  a  communication27  aimed  at  reviving  the  Doha  negotiations.  The
communication indicates that the fundamental objectives of the EU remain  valid: a
clear  preference  for  a  multilateral  trade  system,  a  strong  rules-making  component
alongside  market  access  and  the  need  to  ensure  that  the  negotiations  do  deliver  a
development  round  and  contribute  to  sustainable  development.  On  trade  and
Environment in particular, our fundamental objectives and level of ambition should
remain  unchanged.  However,  a  stronger  focus  on  the  political  and  governance
dimension is proposed.

The  EU  will  continue  to  support  a  positive  sustainable  outcome  within  the
framework of the Doha Development Agenda. Sustainability considerations must be
reflected throughout the negotiations to maximise the potential for positive synergies
between  trade  liberalisation,  environmental  protection  and  economic  and  social
development pursued in all international fora.

27

Communication  from  the  Commission  “Reviving  the  DDA  negotiations,  the  EU  perspective”,
(COM(2003) 734) 26.11.2003.

18

 
                                                
Since  the  WSSD,  the  EU  has  taken  important  steps  to  comply  with  the  WSSD
commitments as well as complementary action in support of the Doha Development
Agenda, through a number of measures.

The  EU  is  committed  to  including  a  substantive  element  on  environment  and
sustainable development in regional and bilateral trade negotiations and has initiated
such  work  for,  e.g.,  the  Mercosur  agreement  or  Economic  Partnership  Agreements
with ACP Countries.

In  order  to  provide  exporters  in  non-EU  countries  with  technical  information  they
may  require  regarding  access  to  EU  market,  the  Commission  is  in  the  process  of
setting up a special Trade Helpdesk.

The  Commission  will  review  what  can  be  done  concretely  to  encourage  trade  in
environmentally  friendly  goods,  notably  those  originating  in  developing  countries,
including through public procurement procedures. The idea is to build on emerging
initiatives,  whether  private  (e.g.  Fair  Trade  Initiative)  or  public  (e.g.  governmental
eco-labelling  schemes),  and  encourage  their  expansion  through  export  promotion,
awareness raising and appropriate market incentives.

The  Commission  supports  the  launching  of  Sustainable  Trade  and  Innovation
Centres  (STICs)  and  of  the  European  Trade  Forum,  aimed  at  helping  developing
countries’  producers  to  benefit  from  growing  market  opportunities,  notably  for
environmentally friendly products.

The  WSSD  rightly  stresses  the  need  to  enhance  the  delivery  of  co-ordinated,
effective and targeted technical assistance to best contribute to meeting the challenge
of  sustainable  development.  Developing  countries’  efforts  to  integrate  into  -and
benefit  from-  the  global  trading  system  need  to  be  effectively  supported  through
trade-related capacity-building and technical assistance programmes and projects.

The  European  Union  is  by  far  the  largest  contributor  of  Trade  Related  Assistance
(TRA),  taken  its  broader  definition  (including  supporting  private  sector  with  trade
development) with more than € 2 billion, or 48 per cent of total TRA provided during
the  reporting  period  2001-2002.  In  the  field  of  trade  and  environment,  the  EC
submitted to the WTO in September 2003 a non-exhaustive overview of the Member
States and Commission's trade-related activities in the field of trade and environment
gathering  around  300  TRA  programmes  amounting  to  several  hundred  million
euros.28 It demonstrates that the European Community fully acknowledges the need
for  Trade  and  Environment  technical  assistance  as  being  critical  for  developing
countries to meet the challenge of sustainable development.  Such  assistance should
in particular help developing countries reap the benefits of further trade liberalisation
and  of  new  market  opportunities  while  moving  towards  sustainable  development,
also at national level, including by developing adequate environmental legislation. At
the international level, further consideration should be given to the idea of a strategic
partnership between the WTO and other relevant international organisations involved
in technical assistance and capacity building activities so as to best use resources and
expertise and maximise synergies and complementarities (e.g. UNEP/UNCTAD joint
task  force  on  trade,  environment  and  development,  ILO  programmes  on  the

28

Available online: http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/environment/wto_nego/index_en.htm

19

 
                                                
promotion of core labour standards including on the Elimination of Child Labour and
other programmes related to the ILO decent work agenda).

The greening of export credits remains an important priority. Strengthening the draft
OECD  recommendation  on  Common  Approaches  to  Environment  and  Officially-
Supported  Export  Credits,  in  particular  by  generalising  the  use  of  international
standards  and  increasing transparency, should pave the way  for  its formal  adoption
early in 2004.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) lies at the heart of the debate on sustainable
globalisation. The  European  Union  support CSR codes (such  as those based on the
OECD  Guidelines  for  multi  national  enterprises  or  building  on  ILO  core
conventions), is integrating CSR references into trade agreements,  and  has  set  up a
Multi-Stakeholder Forum on CSR to follow-up the  Commission  Communication of
July 200229. This process of dialogue aims to assess what the EU can and should do
to promote CSR both at home and globally.

Sustainability Impact Assessments - SIA - is a tool which is at the core of the EU’s
efforts to internalise sustainability considerations into its trade policy, in particular its
trade negotiations. The SIA is constantly being improved and with each study carried
out the bank of knowledge and experience regarding the impact of trade agreements
on  sustainable  development  grows.  In  particular,  a  large  SIA  seminar  held  in
February 2003 established that an inclusive SIA consultation process is crucial. Thus
the Commission is now putting a lot of emphasis into establishing effective networks
and in bringing together interested parties from different origins, such as developing
countries’  representatives  and  stakeholders,  Non  Governmental  Organisations
(NGOs),  and  technical  experts.  Drawing  on  this  experience,  the  Commission  has
decided  to  fund  the  organisation  of  local  seminars  in  Mercosur  and  African
Caribbean and Pacific countries. This pilot action over the next months will provide
a better basis for defining a benchmark for the quality of consultation in future SIA
processes.

The  European  Commission  will  also  strive  to  upgrade  its  dialogue  with  its  trading
partners  on  SIA  and  sustainable  development  to  facilitate  the  involvement  of  their
civil society and to improve mutual understanding of policy interlinkages, notably in
the  framework  of  trade  negotiations. The Commission  thinks  that,  in some  specific
cases, it may be more appropriate to directly finance developing countries or relevant
international organisations, such as UNEP, to carry out SIA studies. It also considers
of  key  importance  to  respond  to  the  results  of  SIA  studies  and  integrate  them  into
trade policy and, where necessary, into other policy areas.

Lastly,  strengthening  the  social  pillar  of  sustainable  development  is  key.  Important
work  is  going  on  in  the  ILO,  which  has  established  in  February  2002  the  World
Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation (WCSDG) to identify policies
promoting a model of globalisation which reduces poverty and promote growth and
decent work, and assist international community to forge greater policy coherence.
The WCSDG will present its report by mid-February 2004.

29

Communication  from  the  Commission  concerning  “corporate  social  responsibility,  a  business
contribution  to  sustainable  development”,  COM(2002)  347,  for  more  information  on  the  CSR  forum:
http://forum.europa.eu.int/irc/empl/csr_eu_multi_stakeholder_forum/info/data/en/csr%20ems%20forum.htm

20

 
                                                
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Ongoing EU activities

in  WTO  negotiations 

Participating 
the  Doha
Development  Agenda,  particularly  with  a  view  to  allowing  developing
countries to effectively integrate into the world trading system.

in  accordance  with 

Strengthening of the sustainability dimension of regional and bilateral trade
agreements under negotiations.

Strengthening  of  international  economic  governance  through  co-operation
between  the  WTO  and  Bretton  Woods  institutions  and  achieve  mutual
supportiveness  between  trade  and  environment  through  co-operative
arrangements involving the WTO, UNEP/MEAs and UNCTAD;

Promotion  of  trade  in  environmentally  friendly  goods,  notably  from
developing  countries,  through  the  Trade  Helpdesk,  support  to  STICS  and
other measures.

Work  on  capacity  building  and  technical  assistance  programmes  to  help
developing  countries  expand  exports  and  develop  policy  responses  to
sustainability challenges. Support a strategic partnership between the WTO
and  other  relevant  international  organisations  involved  in  trade  assistance
and capacity building for sustainable development.

Improvement of the draft OECD recommendation on export credits and the
environment, with a view to its formal adoption early in 2004.

Work  to  strengthen  corporate  social  and  environmental  responsibility,
including the contribution by EU companies to sustainable development in
third  countries,  and  implement  the  OECD  Guidelines  for  multinational
enterprises.

Contribute  to  the  follow-up  and  implementation  of  the  report  of  the
WCSDG.

Development of SIA methodology and dialogue with stakeholders involved
in the SIA-process.

4.4. 

Governance for sustainable development

There  is  a  growing  consensus  that  the  global  governance  system  must  gain
legitimacy,  coherence  and  effectiveness.  This  requires  the  re-examination  of
the  main
international  governance  arrangements  and  the 
institutions representing the dimensions of sustainable development.

interplay  between 

21

 
Strategic partnerships between  these  institutions  are  now  needed  more  than  ever  in
order  to  support  multilateralism  and  achieve  the  Johannesburg  targets.  It  is  also
necessary to ensure coherence and to develop synergies in the follow-up to all major
UN  conferences.  The  Commission  is  closely  following  the  work  of  the  Ad  Hoc
Working Group on the Integrated and Coordinated Implementation of and Follow-up
to  the  Outcomes  of  the  Major  United  Nations  Conferences  and  Summits  in  the
Economic and Social Fields, and hopes that a common framework for the follow-up
of  major  UN  Conferences  -  not  only  for  the  WSSD  follow-up,  but  for  the  whole
UN Family - will emerge from the work of this group.

Enhanced  partnership  between  the  Commission  and  UN  Agencies,  Funds  and
Programmes,  as  proposed  by  the  Commission30,  can  play  a  supportive  role  in
furthering  the  achievement  of  these  objectives.  An  example  of  that  is  the  renewed
partnership  between  the  European  Commission  and  ILO,  covering  cooperation  on
promotion  of  decent  work,  poverty  reduction  and  the  social  dimension  of
globalisation. A strategic partnership between the Commission and  ILO in the field
of development cooperation is under preparation.

Strengthened  international  governance  for  sustainable  development  is  clearly  an
essential  requirement  for  progress  in  WSSD  implementation.  In  this  regard,  the
European Council has stressed the need to reinforce the United Nations Environment
Programme  (UNEP)  and  to  consider  the  need  for  its  institutional  upgrading  by
creating  a  UN  Environmental  Agency.  In  the  short/medium  term,  UNEP’s  political
authority should be reinforced and its budgetary basis improved. The EU should also
promote  coordination  among,  and  implementation  of,  multilateral  environmental
agreements  (MEAs),  for  example,  through  more  effective  compliance  mechanisms.
Ratification of MEAs, in particular the Kyoto Protocol, remains a key priority for the
EU.

The  EU  should  continue  to  play  a  substantive  role  in  the  UN  Commission  on
Sustainable Development (CSD). The CSD has  a unique role in the  UN system, by
bringing  together  governments,  international  organisations  and  major  groups,  and
enhancing dialogue in key areas of sustainable development. Its work programme for
2004-2017,  adopted  in  May  2003,  has  a  strong  focus  on  implementation  of  the
WSSD targets and goals. This should give a more practical, action-oriented focus to
CSD deliberations.

Changing consumption and production patterns, a central item on the Johannesburg
agenda,  is mainly an  internal  challenge  for  the  European  Union.  At  the  same  time,
the EU has to play a leading role in ongoing international work to develop a ten-year
framework  of  programmes  on  sustainable  consumption  and  production  by  actively
supporting  the  process  launched  in  Marrakech  in  June  this  year  by  UNDESA  and
UNEP.  It  is  also  important  to  ensure  that  measures  in  the  field  of  sustainable
consumption  and  production  are  supportive  of  sustainable  development 
in
developing countries.

30

The European Union and the United Nations: The choice of multilateralism, COM(2003) 526 final.

22

 
                                                
While  better  governance  for  sustainable  development  at  international  level  is
crucially  important,  good  governance  is  first  and  foremost  a  domestic  issue.
Inadequate  domestic  policies  in  many  countries,  not  only  in  developing  countries,
have  played  a  major  part  in  widening  the  gap  between  the  poor  and  the  rich,  both
within and between countries and regions.

The  WSSD  Plan  of  Implementation  rightly  emphasises  national  responsibilities  to
enforce clear and  effective laws that  support sustainable development.  It  also  urges
countries to develop and begin implementation of national strategies for sustainable
development by 2005. Where applicable, these could be formulated in the context of
poverty  reduction  strategies.  The  EU  should  support  the  establishment  of  poverty
reduction  strategies  which  include  good  governance.  This  may  be  implemented
through technical assistance, and capacity and institution building.

Implementation  at  local  level  and  the  role  of  local  authorities  is  crucial  in
implementing the WSSD commitments. Local Agendas 21 have proved to be a key
tool  in  enhancing  implementation  and 
increasing  awareness  on  sustainable
development. The development of such strategies, including in developing countries,
should be further encouraged with the participation of major groups.

The WSSD Plan of Implementation contains a “mandate for regionalisation”, putting
a  strong  focus  on  initiatives  and  institutional  frameworks  at  the  regional  and  sub-
regional levels. Consistent with this mandate, the EU should support a strengthened
role  for  regional  cooperation  frameworks  such  as  NEPAD,  ASEM,  ASEAN  or
Mercosur  and 
(e.g.
Mediterranean or Baltic cooperation).

in  sub-regional  processes 

involvement 

reinforce 

its 

There will also be a strengthened focus on regional and sub-regional implementation
of  the  JPOI  in  the  work  of  the  CSD.  The  UN  Regional  Commissions  have  been
invited to organise a Regional Implementation Forum at the beginning of each two-
year cycle. The first such meeting in the UNECE region will take place in January
2004. One of the main challenges for the UNECE will be to develop an appropriate
structure  to  address,  in  an  integrated  manner,  the  three  dimensions  of  sustainable
development.

23

 
– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Ongoing EU activities

Work to strengthen the multilateral system of governance and the role of
international  co-operation  for  sustainable
the  United  Nations 
international  environmental
development  as  well  as  strengthening 
governance,  in  line  with  the  European  Council  conclusions  of  March
2003.

in 

Promotion  of  integrated  and  coordinated  follow-up  to  the  major  UN
conferences

Supporting  CSD  as  the  main  international  monitoring  forum  for  the
follow-up  to  the  Johannesburg  Plan  of  Implementation,  as  well  as  to
regional follow-up.

Active  participation  in  work  to  establish  a  ten-year  framework  of
programmes on sustainable consumption and production.

Supporting  the  development  and  implementation  of  national  sustainable
development  strategies  -  where  applicable  formulated  in  the  context  of
poverty reduction strategies - by 2005 by all countries.

Promotion of a more active role for civil society and the private sector by
supporting relevant initiatives launched  at the WSSD in this regard (e.g.
Partnership  for  Principle  10  on  access  to  information  and  public
participation).

Active  contribution  to  the  development  of  frameworks  for  regional  and
sub-regional  cooperation  within  existing  structures  (e.g.  UN  Regional
Commissions),  as  well  as  support  to  ongoing  initiatives  like  the  New
Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).

5. 

CONCLUSION

Implementation of the commitments undertaken at the WSSD will continue to be a
challenge  for  the  EU  in  the  years  to  come.  While  many  of  the  targets  set  at
Johannesburg  are  for  the  longer  term,  it  is  important  to  demonstrate  already  at  an
early stage that action is taken and that progress made.

Internally, the key challenges for the EU will be to change unsustainable patterns of
consumption  and  production  and  to  ensure  that  natural  resources  are  managed  in  a
sustainable  way,  with  de-coupling  economic  growth  from  natural  resource  use  and
environmental  degradation  the  ultimate  goal.  Externally,  EU’s  credibility  will
crucially  depend  on  the  effective  implementation  of  its  international  commitments.
Timely delivery of the EU’s Monterrey commitments would be a major contribution
to  poverty  eradication.  The  partnership  initiatives  on  water,  energy  and  forests
launched by the EU in Johannesburg are also important to cement our credibility.

24

 
Underlying  all  those  efforts  there  is  the  coherence  issue.  Clearly,  avoiding
detrimental impacts  outside the  EU and  achieving  internal  policy  coherence  should
remain  central  objectives  permeating  the  implementation  of  all  our  WSSD
commitments. For the Union, the EU’s Sustainable Development Strategy will be the
key  tool  for  implementing  the  Johannesburg  commitments.  The  review  of  the
Strategy in 2004 for the new Commission provides an opportunity to ensure that the
Johannesburg commitments are fully integrated in policy making at EU level.

The  Johannesburg  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  has  been  crucial  in
fostering  synergy  between  all  the  distinct  but  mutually  supportive  international
processes  which  aim  at  economic,  social  and  environmental  progress.  It  gave  a
global  boost  to  sustainable  development.  Johannesburg  represented  a  forceful
commitment in support of multilateralism, of targets and of implementation.

A  year  later,  the  challenges  faced  by  the  multilateral  system,  notably  in  areas  like
security  and  trade,  calls  for  renewed  support  to  strong  international  governance.  In
this context, the EU, more than ever, must champion multilateralism.

To  do  so,  it  must  take  its  responsibilities  to  deliver  both  internally  and  externally,
towards  the  developing  countries,  on  all  its  Johannesburg,  Doha  and  Monterrey
commitments. In this process, and based on our own deliverables, the EU must reach
out  globally  with  its  social,  economic  and  environmental  agenda,  which  is  the
expression of the very principles and values that stand  at the heart of the European
Social Model.

25