Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Draft Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development
Date: 2005-05-25
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, economic and social cohesion, environmental protection, international cooperation, sustainable development

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 25.5.2005 
COM(2005) 218 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Draft Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Draft Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development 

The World Commission on Environment and Development defined sustainable development 
as  development  which  meets  the  needs  of  the  present  without  compromising  the  ability  of 
future generations to meet their own needs. The European Union is a strong supporter of the 
Declaration  at  the  1992  United  Nations  Earth  Summit  in  Rio  de  Janeiro.  At  the  ‘Rio  +  5’ 
follow  up  conference,  the  European  Union  and  its  Member  States  committed  themselves  to 
adopt sustainable development strategies. The Amsterdam Treaty, signed in 1997, introduced 
sustainable development as a core objective of the European Union as set out in Articles 2, 3 
and 6 of the EC Treaty.  In  2001,  the  European Union adopted its Sustainable  Development 
Strategy  in  Gothenburg.  In  2002,  the  external  dimension  of  the  Strategy  was  added  by  the 
European  Council  in  Barcelona  and  the  European  Union  was  active  in  supporting  the 
conclusions of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. 

The European Union is firmly committed to sustainable development. It is a key principle of 
all its policies and  actions.  The European Union aims to create  a society which is  based on 
freedom, democracy and respect for fundamental rights, fostering equality of opportunity and 
solidarity  within  and  between  generations.  It  will  work  for  the  sustainable  development  of 
Europe  based  on  balanced  economic  growth  and  price  stability,  a  highly  competitive  social 
market  economy,  aiming  at  full  employment,  a  high  level  of  education  and  social  progress, 
and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment. By taking a 
proactive approach, the European Union can turn the need for environmental protection and 
social  cohesion  into  opportunities  for  innovation,  growth  and  jobs.  The  renewed  Lisbon 
Agenda  is  an  essential  component  of  the  overarching  objective  of  sustainable  development, 
allowing  us  to  use  the  motor  of  a  more  dynamic  economy  to  fuel  our  wider  social  and 
environmental  ambition.  The  synergies  between  the  two  strategies  will  enable  us  to  move 
towards a dynamic and sustainable society.  

The European Union and its Member States have also shown strong leadership in promoting 
sustainable  development  internationally  and  encourages  a  continuous  dialogue  on  effective 
worldwide  action  for  sustainable  development  with  other  countries.  The  European  Union  is 
convinced that it can only deliver fully on its internal priorities if it succeeds at the same time 
on the world scene. The draft Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development 
attached  to  this  Communication  is  intended  to  help  direct  the  work  on  the  renewal  of  the 
Sustainable  Development  Strategy.  The  Declaration  reiterates  the  broad  long-term  vision  of 
sustainability, identifies the main objectives of the Union’s policies and actions and describes 
the way the Union wants to achieve these objectives. These guiding principles correspond to 
the  underlying  values  of  a  dynamic  European  model  of  society.  They  will  underpin  our 
ambitious agenda and help us to create a better quality of life for all, now and in the future. 

In line with these principles and following the request from the Spring European Council, the 
Commission  will  present  a  proposal  for  a  new,  more  comprehensive  and  ambitious 
Sustainable Development Strategy later this year. It will contain long-term orientations, clear 
objectives, targets and effective monitoring mechanisms and make better use of the synergies 
between  complementary  actions  and  policies.  The  internal  and  external  dimensions  of 
sustainability will be fully integrated in the new Strategy.  

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Draft Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development 

Sustainable Development is a key objective for all European Community policies, set out in 
the  Treaty.  It  aims  at  the  continuous  improvement  of  the  quality  of  life  on  earth  of  both 
current and future generations. It is about safeguarding the earth’s capacity to support life in 
all its diversity. It is based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law and respect for 
fundamental rights including freedom and equal opportunities for all. It brings about solidarity 
within and between generations. It seeks to promote a dynamic economy with a high level of 
employment  and  education,  of  health  protection,  of  social  and  territorial  cohesion  and  of 
environmental protection in a peaceful and secure world, respecting cultural diversity. 

To achieve these aims in Europe and globally, the European Union and its Member States are 
committed to pursue and respect, on their own and with partners, the following objectives and 
principles:  

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Key Objectives 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

Safeguard  the  earth’s  capacity  to  support  life  in  all  its  diversity,  respect  the  limits  of  the 
planet’s  natural  resources  and  ensure  a  high  level  of  protection  and  improvement  of  the 
quality  of  the  environment.  Prevent  and  reduce  environmental  pollution  and  promote 
sustainable  production  and  consumption  to  break  the  link  between  economic  growth  and 
environmental degradation.  

SOCIAL EQUITY AND COHESION 

Promote a democratic, socially inclusive, cohesive, healthy, safe and just society with respect 
for  fundamental  rights  and  cultural  diversity  that  creates  equal  opportunities  and  combats 
discrimination in all its forms. 

ECONOMIC PROSPERITY 

Promote  a  prosperous,  innovative,  knowledge-rich,  competitive  and  eco-efficient  economy 
which  provides  high  living  standards,  and  full  and  high-quality  employment  throughout  the 
European Union. 

MEETING OUR INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

Encourage  the  establishment  and  defend  the  stability  of  democratic  institutions  across  the 
world,  based  on  peace,  security  and  freedom.  Actively  promote  sustainable  development 
worldwide and ensure that the European Union’s internal and external policies are consistent 
with global sustainable development and its international commitments. 

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Policy Guiding Principles 

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS  

Place human beings at the centre of the European Union’s policies, by promoting fundamental 
rights, by combating all forms of discrimination and contributing to the reduction of poverty 
worldwide. 

INTRA- AND INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY  

Address  the  needs  of  current  generations  without  compromising  the  ability  of  future 
generations to meet their needs in the EU and elsewhere. 

OPEN AND DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY  

Guarantee  citizens’  rights  of  access  to  information  and  ensure  access  to  justice.  Develop 
adequate consultation and participatory channels for all interested parties and associations. 

INVOLVEMENT OF CITIZENS  

Enhance  the  participation  of  citizens  in  decision  making.  Promote  education  and  public 
awareness of sustainable development. Inform citizens about their impact on the environment 
and their options for making more sustainable choices. 

INVOLVEMENT OF BUSINESSES AND SOCIAL PARTNERS  

Enhance the social dialogue, corporate social responsibility and private-public partnerships to 
foster  cooperation  and  common  responsibilities  to  achieve  sustainable  production  and 
consumption. 

POLICY COHERENCE AND GOVERNANCE  

Promote  coherence  between  all  European  Union  policies  and  coherence  between  local, 
regional,  national  and  global  actions  in  order  to  increase  their  contribution  to  sustainable 
development. 

POLICY INTEGRATION  

Promote  integration  of  economic,  social  and  environmental  considerations  so  that  they  are 
coherent  and  mutually  reinforce  each  other  by  making  full  use  of  instruments  for  better 
regulation, such as balanced impact assessment and stakeholder consultations.  

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USE BEST AVAILABLE KNOWLEDGE 

Ensure  that  policies  are  developed,  assessed  and  implemented  on  the  basis  of  the  best 
available knowledge and that they are economically sound and cost-effective.  

PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE  

Take a precautionary approach where there is objective scientific uncertainty in order to avoid 
potential damage to people’s health or to the environment and take preventive action.  

MAKE POLLUTERS PAY 

Ensure  that  prices  reflect  the  real  costs  to  society  of  production  and  consumption  activities 
and that polluters pay for the damage they cause to human health and the environment. 

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