Opinion of the Committee of the Regions Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament The 2005 Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy: Initial Stocktaking and Future Orientations
Date: 2005-10-12
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU environmental policy, public awareness campaign, public contract, sustainable development

C 81/28

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

4.4.2006

recommends that subsidies for activities contributing to

2.8
climate change be abolished;

supports and reiterates the Council proposal to set
2.9
targets for the post-2012 period; like the Council, it considers
that for developed countries,
it would be appropriate to set
reduction targets of between 15 % and 30 % by 2020 in rela-
tion to the reference values established by the Kyoto Protocol;
beyond this date, it recommends that values should be set in
line with the spirit of the conclusions adopted by the Environ-
ment Council (60 % to 80 % by 2050);

Brussels, 12 October 2005.

2.10
environment create incentives for combating climate change;

the thematic strategy for the urban

proposes that

recommends that the cost/benefit analysis of limiting
2.11
temperature increases to 2oC should be studied/researched in
greater detail; the concentration of greenhouse gases required
to achieve the objective of 2°C and the costs associated with
such a reduction must be established more precisely;

2.12
suggests that towns continue to sign up to the LA21
process, and focus more on implementing this type of strategy.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions Communication from the Commission to the Council
and the European Parliament The 2005 Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy:
Initial Stocktaking and Future Orientations

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

(2006/C 81/08)

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament
on The 2005 Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy: Initial Stocktaking and Future Orientations,
COM(2005) 37 final;

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission on 9 February 2005 to consult it on this
subject, under Article 265(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the decision taken by its Bureau on 12 April 2005 to instruct the Commission for
Sustainable Development to draw up the opinion on the subject;

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission on A Sustainable Europe for a Better World: A
European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development (Commission's proposal to the Gothenburg European Council),
COM(2001)264 final;

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the
Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Towards a
global partnership for sustainable development, COM(2002) 82 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 was given to the strategy,
adopted two years earlier at the Lisbon summit (COM(2002) 14), to make Europe the world's most
dynamic, competitive and sustainable knowledge-based economy;

Having regard to the exploratory opinion from the European Economic and Social Committee adopted
on 28 April 2004, NAT/229 — CESE 661/2004;

Having regard to the Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development from the European
Council on 16 and 17 June 2005;

4.4.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 81/29

Having regard to its opinion on the Communication on Towards a thematic strategy on the sustainable
use of natural resources, COM(2003) 572 final — CdR 11/2004 fin (1));

Having regard to its opinion of 14 November 2001 on the Commission Communication entitled Ten
years after Rio: Preparing for the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, (COM(2001) 53) —
CdR 37/2001 fin (2);

Having regard to its opinion of 15 June 2000 on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament
and of the Council on a Community framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban develop-
ment, (COM(1999) 557 final — 1999/0233 (COD)) — CdR 134/2000 fin (3);

Having regard to its opinion of 17 February on the Communication from the Commission to the
Council, the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions
on Directions towards sustainable agriculture, (COM(1999) 22 final) — CdR 183/1999 fin (4);

Having regard to its opinion on the Communication from the Commission on Trade and Development —
Assisting developing countries to benefit from trade (COM(2002) 513 final) — CdR 100/2003 fin (5);

Having regard to its opinion on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the
Council on Services in the internal market (COM(2004) 2 final-2004/0001 (COD) — CdR 154/2004 fin (6);

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 66/2005 rev. 1) adopted on 28 June 2005 by its Commission for
sustainable development (rapporteur: Ms Mona-Lisa Norrman, Member of Jämtland County Council, (SE/
PES));

Whereas

1)

2)

3)

Local and regional authorities are the decision-making and executive level which is closest to EU citi-
zens. The measures needed to bring about sustainable development must be devised, accepted,
implemented and monitored in dialogue with European Union citizens.

In the EU's 25 Member States it is the local and regional level where the practical coordination
between different policy sectors must take place. Similarly, it is at local and regional level that EU
cohesion policy is put into practice.

It is through the combined impact of measures implemented locally and regionally, both within the
EU and globally, that the unsustainable trends that we see today can be reversed. The appropriate
slogan is: Think globally, act locally.

adopted the following opinion unanimously at its 61st plenary session of 12 and 13 October 2005
(meeting of 12 October):

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

General remarks

The Committee of the Regions

1.1 welcomes the Commission Communication on the
review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, which
provides an initial assessment of
the progress made and
outlines a number of future orientations;

1.2
stresses that not enough progress has been made since
the Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted in Gothen-
burg in 2001; agrees with the Commission that the focus must
now be on a proactive approach towards sustainable develop-
ment and concrete action on the ground;

(1) OJ C 121, 30.4.2004, p. 47
(2) OJ C 107, 3.5.2002, p. 9
(3) OJ C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 33
(4) OJ C 156, 6.6.2000, p. 40
(5) OJ C 23, 27.1.2004, p. 8
(6) OJ C 43, 18.2.2005, p. 18

points out

1.3
that a three-dimensional approach to
sustainable development, embracing economic, ecological and
social aspects, is a precondition for growth, more and better
jobs,
increased welfare and a cleaner and healthier environ-
ment;

emphasises the importance of

1.4
integrating and high-
lighting sustainable development in all areas of EU policy. It is
important that cohesion policy supports the economic as well
as the ecological and social dimensions and that due regard is
paid to the long-term effects of policy. Equally, the future Euro-
pean Policy on Development and policy on Africa should
ensure consistent support for sustainable development in inter-
national activities;

C 81/30

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

4.4.2006

International trade

Environmentally-driven businesses and green jobs

stresses that the Lisbon Strategy is the basis for the
1.5
EU's response to the impact of globalisations on competition,
economy and labour force in Europe, but this should also
reflect the impacts on sustainable development in Europe and
internationally. The method to access sustainable development
which is currently used, with regard to different international
agreements, needs to be developed in order to better reflect the
effect of globalization on public services and sustainable devel-
opment at the local and regional level;

Dialogue and cooperation

stresses the importance of effective dialogue with civil
1.6
society. To this end the messages emanating from the Commis-
sion need to be consistent and well coordinated, and the
strategy should be monitored and translated into concrete
action;

The local and regional perspective

1.7 would particularly highlight the role and responsi-
bility of local and regional authorities in achieving sustainable
development. All government
levels should collaborate to
determine and implement the changes necessary to achieve a
sustainable society through strong leadership;

Focus on citizens

1.8
stresses the importance of ensuring that efforts to
promote sustainable development are geared to the needs and
circumstances of EU citizens,
in order to win their support.
Local and regional authorities have an important role in this
dialogue, and the Commission should support these efforts
administratively and financially by:

— developing consultation arrangements and creating natural

forums for dialogue and exchange of experiences;

— supporting local and regional development projects, both

within the EU and globally;

future
endorses the Commission's view that our
1.12
quality of life will depend on our production and consumption
patterns. We need to decouple economic growth from environ-
mental degradation, through education and information on the
health and environmental impact of goods and services. Envir-
onmental requirements in public procurement procedures also
have an important part to play in changing production and
consumption patterns;

underlines the need for measures to support

the
1.13
development of environmentally-driven businesses, especially
SMEs. Research-intensive companies in the environmental tech-
nology sector should be specifically targeted for support in the
context of the current proposal for the Seventh Framework
Programme for Research, Technological Development and
Demonstration (FP7);

Objectives, measures and monitoring

1.14
supports the Commission's plan to set clear objectives,
targets and related deadlines. This will make it possible to
monitor, measure and report on the progress made;

1.15
stresses the need for active measures and concrete
action to promote sustainable development. The forthcoming
action programme must also include tools for implementing
and monitoring the various measures and include local and
regional authorities as key partners in drawing up the action
programme;

Instruments for implementing sustainable development

1.16
stresses the importance of devising new instruments
and improving existing ones. This is necessary so that the
measures needed to promote sustainable development can be
implemented, evaluated and monitored. The following instru-
ments should be developed and adapted so as to make an effec-
tive contribution towards achieving sustainable development:

— increasing knowledge and awareness in the EU of the need

for joint action to achieve a sustainable society;

— E n v i r o n m e n t a l m a n a g e m e n t s y s t e m s

Public health, security and equality

The EU's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) should
be improved and adapted to sustainable development issues
and needs. An environmental management system should be
developed, including economic, ecological and social concerns.

emphasises that public health, in the broad sense, is a

1.9
key requirement for achieving sustainable development;

— P u b l i c p r o c u r e m e n t

points out that security is a prerequisite for a good
1.10
quality of life, and together with a broad public health perspec-
tive, lies at the heart of efforts to promote sustainable develop-
ment;

1.11
highlight also the need to incorporate an equal oppor-
tunities' perspective in initiatives to promote sustainable devel-
opment;

Including environmental requirements in public procurement
contracts is a powerful tool for encouraging changes in produc-
tion and consumption patterns in society. It should be further
strengthened by, for example, highlighting the possibility of
locally
taking into account
produced goods and services. Public procurement currently
accounts for 15 % of the EU's GDP, or around EUR 1,000
billion.

the environmental benefits of

4.4.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 81/31

— T e c h n o l o g y p r o c u r e m e n t

should be developed,
Technology-procurement procedures
transport, water
particularly in the fields of waste, energy,
supply and sewerage, roads and other infrastructure. These are
areas where the public sector has a responsibility at local and
regional level.

Research and development

‘socially motivated research platforms’

There is an urgent need to develop new and more environmen-
tally sound technologies. The Commission's initiative to estab-
lish a number of technological platforms built on cooperation
between the research community and the private business
sector
is a step in this direction. Discussions are being
conducted by, for example, the European Parliament on the
creation of
the
express purpose of supporting and promoting sustainable
the Regions
development-related R&D. The Committee of
endorses this initiative and would stress the need to extend it
to include research and development in the fields of social and
behavioural sciences. Specific initiatives are also needed to
ensure that research results can be translated into practical
action to further sustainable development at local and regional
level.

for

— I n f o r m a t i o n a n d p u b l i c a w a r e n e s s

The Commission has, inter alia, adopted minimum standards
for stakeholder consultation prior to decision-making in the
environmental field. In addition, various initiatives have been
taken to encourage the involvement of the private business
sector in the drive for sustainable development. The Commis-
sion is not always the best messenger here.

— C o o p e r a t i o n a n d e x c h a n g e o f e x p e r i e n c e

The possibility to exchange experience and accumulate new
knowledge
through cooperation and interaction between
various players are important parts of sustainable development
efforts. A large number of organisations and networks within
the EU are working to this end.

— M o n i t o r i n g a n d e v a l u a t i o n

Monitoring and evaluation tools are needed to enable effective
and targeted action to be taken to promote sustainable develop-
ment. Health and environmental impact assessments are two
examples, but more needs to be done to develop these tools.

— M a r k e t - b a s e d i n s t r u m e n t s

A number of market-based instruments are currently in use in
the EU, such as environmentally-related taxes, emission-trading

Brussels, 12 October 2005.

schemes and subsidies. These instruments need to be developed
further, with the aim of ensuring that
the prices of all
economic activities reflect their true cost to society.

— S p a t i a l p l a n n i n g

Many of the measures needed to promote sustainable develop-
ment touch upon land and water use at local and regional level
and are linked to spatial planning, like the implementation of
the EU water directive or the thematic strategies for the urban
environment and waste.

— L e g i s l a t i o n

Legislation is another important tool for promoting sustainable
development. However, some parts of both Community-wide
and national legislation do not fully support efforts to promote
sustainable development. Priority should be given to improving
and developing existing legislation.
In addition, coherence
between different laws should be re-examined and improved,
with the aim,
inter alia, of establishing a simpler regulatory
environment. Legislation should be backed up by new instru-
ments and methods based on agreements between the social
this approach include agreements
partners. Examples of
concluded in the context of the open coordination method, the
Aalborg Charter and tripartite contracts.

2. The Committee of the Regions' recommendations

The Committee of the Regions

2.1
stresses the importance of giving centre stage to EU
citizens in efforts to achieve a sustainable society. The dialogue
in
on physical and economic measures and on changes
consumption and behaviour patterns must be conducted in the
light of circumstances at local and regional level;

2.2
believes that the objectives and measures needed in the
work to promote sustainable development must be based on
and adapted to circumstances at local and regional level;

2.3
emphasises the importance of developing new instru-
ments and improving existing ones. This is necessary so as to
enable the implementation, evaluation and monitoring of the
measures needed to deliver sustainable development;

trusts that,

2.4
in its ongoing review of the sustainable
development strategy and its work on the action programme,
the Commission will develop and deepen the dialogue with the
local and regional level and intends to play an active role in
ongoing efforts to achieve a sustainable society both within the
European Union and globally.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB