Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy - A platform for action
Date: 2005-12-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, climate change, demography, economic and social cohesion, environmental protection, poverty, public health, sustainable development

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 13.12.2005 
COM(2005) 658 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

On the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy 

A platform for action 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

2.5. 

2.6. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

A Framework for action ............................................................................................... 4 

Making the change: focusing on key issues ................................................................. 5 

Climate change and clean energy ................................................................................ 6 

Public health ................................................................................................................ 7 

Social exclusion, demography and migration.............................................................. 8 

Management of natural resources ............................................................................... 9 

Sustainable transport ................................................................................................. 11 

Global poverty and development challenges ............................................................. 12 

Delivering results ....................................................................................................... 13 

More effective follow-up ............................................................................................ 13 

Better policy making .................................................................................................. 14 

Conclusions ................................................................................................................ 18 

ANNEX 1 Declaration on Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development - Council of the 
European Union Presidency Conclusions DOC 10255/05 BRUSSELS EUROPEAN 
COUNCIL 16 and 17 JUNE 2005.............................................................................. 22 

ANNEX 2 Objectives, Targets, Policies and Actions – Getting progress on the SDS ............ 25 

ANNEX 3 The 2005 Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy: Initial Stocktaking 
and Future Orientations - COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE 
COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT {COM(2005) 37} ..................... 37 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

On the review of the Sustainable Development Strategy 

A platform for action 

(Text with EEA relevance)  

Europeans  value  quality  of  life.  They  want  to  enjoy  prosperity,  a  clean  environment,  good 
health,  social  protection  and  equity.  They  want  this  not  only  for  themselves  but  for  their 
children  and  grandchildren.  In  the  face  of  a  rapidly  changing  world  –  a  world  in  which  the 
pace  of  change  can  seriously  challenge  the  capacity  of  the  economy,  the  social  fabric  and 
nature  to  adjust  -  Europe  needs  to  modernise  and  keep  at  the  forefront  of  change.  The 
challenge  is  to  maintain  a  momentum  that  mutually  reinforces  economic  growth,  social 
welfare and environment protection. 

This  challenge  and  the  imperative  for  change  were  recognised  by  the  European  Council  in 
Gothenburg in 2001 with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Strategy to which an 
external dimension was added in 2002 at the European Council in Barcelona. The principles 
and objectives of sustainable development – economic prosperity, social equity, environment 
protection  and  international  responsibilities  –  were  reaffirmed  by  the  European  Council  in 
June  2005  when  they  adopted  guiding  principles  for  sustainable  development  and  figured 
centrally in the discussions of European Heads of State and Government at Hampton Court in 
October 2005.  

Europe  has  made  a  good  start  in  applying  these  principles  of  sustainable  development. 
Important initiatives have been taken in the renewed Lisbon process, in the social sphere and 
in  the  pursuit  of  environment  protection.  However,  the  rapid  pace  of  change  requires  the 
stepping up of efforts to keep Europe on a sustainable path. With a strengthened commitment 
to  growth  and  jobs,  combined  with  a  determination  to  preserve  and  protect  Europe’s  social 
and  natural  heritage,  to  exploit  knowledge,  to  foster  innovation,  to  approach  policy 
development in an integrated way and to provide financial means, it can be done.  

Governments  will  always  be  an  important  part  of  the  solution  as  they  set  the  framework 
within  which  citizens  and  businesses  take  decisions.  But,  sustainable  development  cannot 
only  be  about  what  governments  can  do.  All  stakeholders,  businesses  and  citizens  in 
particular, need to be empowered and encouraged to come up with new and innovative ways 
to  address  the  challenges  and  seize  the  opportunities.  Europe  cannot  address  all  these 
challenges alone, and has shown determination to work with international partners on global 
issues and in a global perspective. 

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1. 

A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION 

Sustainable development is the overarching long term goal of the European Union set out in 
the  Treaty.  The  European  Council  set  out  a  strategy  in  2001  for  moving  toward  this  goal. 
Since then, ambitions have been translated into policy initiatives which in turn are bringing 
results on the ground. 

The framework for action is in place. On the economic side, the renewed Lisbon strategy is 
the  motor  for  growth  and  jobs.  It  will  help  the  EU  adapt  to  the  challenges  of  global 
competition  and  an ageing  population. A stronger  European economy is vital to  and part of 
sustainable development; it will help generate the means to invest, for example in a cleaner 
environment,  in  better  education  and  health  care  and  in  social  protection.  In  turn,  more 
sustainable use of natural resources and increased social justice are critical to our economic 
success. 

Recognising  these  linkages,  the  EU  is  exploiting  the  mutually  reinforcing  elements  of 
economic,  social  and  environment  policy.  The  Commission  now  undertakes  impact 
assessments  for  all  major  policy  proposals  to  assess  their  contribution  to  sustainability.  The 
reform of the agricultural and fisheries policy, the reinforcement of rural development policy 
as well as the modernisation of cohesion policy reflects this commitment to integrated policy 
making. The EU has put a policy framework in place to combat climate change, including an 
ambitious  emission  trading  system  for  CO2  to  encourage  industrial  plants  to  reduce  their 
emissions at least cost.  

Several cross-cutting and thematic strategies and action plans1, often accompanied by specific 
targets and milestones have been adopted. These include joint efforts across a wide range of 
areas,  for  example,  to  improve  security,  public  health,  enhance  social  inclusion,  strengthen 
cohesion  and  to  halt  the  loss  of  biodiversity,  improve  soil,  water  and  air  quality.  Member 
States  and  local  and  regional  governments  have  also  acted  across  the  board,  for  example  to 
address  social  exclusion,  to  prepare  for  the  impact  of  an  ageing  society,  reduce  greenhouse 
gas emissions and improve the quality of local public transport2. 

This review takes account of these achievements and sets out further concrete actions for the 
coming years. It is the culmination of a review process launched in early 2005 which has three 
closely related elements, forming a package: 

–  a  Commission  Communication  adopted  in  February  2005,  taking  stock  of  progress  and 

proposing first orientations, 

–  Guiding Principles adopted in June 2005 by the European Council, 

–  this Communication focusing on implementation and actions. 

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2 

A  broad  overview  of  the  different  EU  strategies  and  action  plans  that  work  in  support  of  sustainable 
development is provided at Annex II. 
Key examples of progress achieved have been set out in the Commissions Communication of February 
2005 - COM(2005) 37. See also the December 2005 Eurostat publication on Sustainable Development 
Indicators. 

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In developing this package, the Commission has consulted widely and listened to the Council 
and  Parliament,  Member  States,  NGO’s,  citizens  and  stakeholders3.  The  main  lessons  from 
this  dialogue  are  that  the  reviewed  Strategy  needs  a  stronger  focus,  a  clearer  division  of 
responsibilities,  wider  ownership  and  broader  support,  a  stronger  integration  of  the 
international dimension and more effective implementation and monitoring.  

The  objective  of  this  review  is  not  to  replace  but  to  further  develop  the  Sustainable 
Development  Strategy.  It  is  committed  to  ensuring  that  links  between  European  policy 
initiatives  are  exploited  and  tradeoffs  assessed  to  achieve  sustainability  objectives.  The 
review: 

•  identifies key issues where a stronger impetus is needed in coming years; 

•  suggests that the external dimension of sustainable development (e.g. global resource use, 
international  development  concerns)  be  factored  into  internal  policy  making  and  that  the 
impact of European policy choices on global sustainable development be more consistently 
assessed; 

•  proposes  ways  to  measure  progress  and  regularly  review  priorities,  with  a  view  to 

facilitating greater coherence between Member State and EU strategies; 

•  recommends  a  continuous  dialogue  with  the  people  and  organisations  -  business  leaders, 
regional  and  local  authorities,  NGOs,  academia,  and  citizens  organisations  -  who  are 
engaged and committed to making change happen. 

2. 

MAKING THE CHANGE: FOCUSING ON KEY ISSUES 

This  Review  highlights  a  number  of  key  issues  which  need  a  strong  push  at  the  highest 
political  level  to  engage  the  public,  speed  up  decision-making  and  action  at  all  levels, 
encourage  more  ‘joined  up’  thinking  and  accelerate  the  uptake  of  new  and  better  ideas.  It 
recognises  the  need  to  check  on  progress  regularly  and  makes  suggestions  as  to  how  to  do 
that. 

In moving ahead on the specific issues, a number of cross cutting factors need to be taken into 
account.  Trends  are  inter-linked  and  therefore  it  is  necessary  to  continue  to  examine  sector 
policies  in  the  round,  in  an  integrated  framework.  The  fight  against  climate  change,  for 
example, is multi-faceted, with both energy and transport policies having a key role to play in 
reduction  of  green  house  gas  emissions.  Climate  change  has  social  impacts,  for  example 
because severe climate events, such as flooding and drought, often disproportionately affect 
the  weakest  regions  and  parts  of  the  population.  Europe  is  already  exploiting  the  positive 
linkages  across  policy  areas.  Action  on  sustainable  energy  is  being  taken  with  a  view  to 
enhancing security of energy supply, reducing climate change and local air pollution, poverty 
and improving security, while promoting rural and local development. There are nonetheless 
trade-offs.  Some  policies  engender  adjustment  costs  and  ways  need  to  be  found  to  balance 
tradeoffs in an optimal manner. 

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Commission Communication of February 2005 - COM(2005) 37. The Commission received more than 
1 100 contributions during the consultations. 

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Effective responses require international co-operation and solidarity. The EU is committed to 
poverty alleviation in developing countries and is working closely with the United Nations in 
moving  towards  the  achievement  of  the  Millennium  Development  Goals.  It  is  engaged  in  a 
range  of  multilateral  efforts,  for  example,  in  working  with  others  to  meet  commitments  on 
biodiversity,  fish  stocks,  energy  and  water  agreed  at  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable 
Development, and in combating climate change. The EU will use its influence to bring more 
nations  behind  an  ambitious  sustainable  development  agenda.  It  will  also  use  its  own 
instruments,  such  as  trade  and  co-operation  agreements,  to  drive  change  and  will  factor  the 
external dimension into its internal policy making.  

The EU and Member States need to continue to invest in research and technology to find new 
cost effective and resource efficient ways of production and consumption. By harnessing new 
technologies – IT and communication tools, alternative energy generation, low environmental 
impact  products  and  processes,  new  fuels  and  transport  technologies  –  Europe  can  make  a 
break  through  in  resource  efficiency  which  has  the  potential  to  drive  growth  along  a 
sustainable path. 

Education plays a key role in facilitating the changes that are part of sustainable development. 
It ensures that people have the skills to adapt to global change, that knowledge is spread and 
that stakeholders become engaged in change. 

2.1. 

Climate change and clean energy 

Climate  change  is  happening.  It  cannot  be  prevented  but  it  can  be  contained  at  acceptable 
levels  and  its  negative  impacts  can  be  significantly  decreased.  It  is  a  global  problem  that 
demands global solutions. More effort is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not only 
in the EU but by other major emitting countries and emerging economies. It is also essential 
that  the  EU  adapts  to  climate  change  and  helps  developing  countries  in  particular  to  do 
likewise.  

The  necessary  changes  will  affect  some  groups,  sectors  or  countries  more  than  others. 
Developing  mechanisms  to  help  those  more  seriously  affected  and  to  motivate  all 
international partners to implement active climate change policies is important. 

Reducing climate change provides important social and economic opportunities and will help 
reduce  other  unsustainable  trends.  Changing  our  patterns  of  energy  use  could,  for  example, 
save  the  EU  at  least  20%  of  its  present  energy  consumption  cost-effectively  –  a  saving 
equivalent  to  the  combined  energy  consumption  of  Germany  and  Finland.  The  EU  is  well 
endowed with renewable sources of energy – wind, solar, biomass, wave, hydro, geothermal – 
and has the technologies to use these to meet a far greater proportion of its demand for heat, 
electricity and fuel.  

Beyond  the  obvious  economic  returns,  experience  shows  that  measures  to  reduce  climate 
change  and  exploit  the  EU’s  own  potential  for  efficiency  and  renewable  energy  have  many 
other knock on benefits – increased security of supply, reduced emissions of other pollutants, 
local development and quality employment. It also helps the EU maintain a leading position 
in  innovative  technologies,  at  a  time  when  strong  competition  is  developing  in  these  areas. 
Moreover, the EU is also well placed to assist developing countries achieve economic growth 
using  least  polluting  technologies,  for  example  through  the  Clean  Development  Mechanism 
under  the  Kyoto  Protocol,  which  enables  the  transfer  of  these  technologies  to  developing 
countries. The potential is there. It needs to be exploited. 

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Key actions: 

•  The EU will seek commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions further, beyond the end 
of existing commitments in 2012, by developing proposals and working towards broader 
international  agreements  that  cover  all  greenhouse  gases  and  sectors,  encourage 
innovation and include measures for adaptation. The EU emissions trading scheme could 
serve as an example for an international carbon market.  

•  The  EU  will  develop  future  climate  policy  through  the  second  phase  of  the  European 
Climate  Change  Programme,  working  with  stakeholders  to  develop  new  actions  to 
systematically  exploit  cost-effective  options,  covering  for  example  cars,  aviation, 
technology development and adaptation. The EU and Member States will review the EU 
Emissions Trading Scheme with a view to further developing it and consider its extension 
to other greenhouse gases and sectors, such as aviation.  

•  At  their  informal  meeting  in  Hampton  Court  in  October  2005  the  Heads  of  State  and 
Government agreed to ask the Commission to develop a re-invigorated sustainable, secure 
and competitive European energy policy. The Commission is developing major initiatives 
on  biomass4  and  biofuels  in  2006.  It  will  also  launch  a  debate  in  2006  on  EU  policy  on 
renewable  energy  up  to  2020,  including  on  the  share  of  the  energy  mix  from  renewable 
sources. This would provide a clear target for all actors involved, providing the certainty 
sought by business and investors. The EU will continue to promote the use of renewable 
energies worldwide. 

•  The Commission will propose an action plan on energy efficiency to realise the estimated 
20%  cost  effective  savings  potential.  A  strong  push  is  needed  on  energy  savings  in 
buildings,  to  go  beyond  the  current  laws  on  energy  performance  in  buildings  to  help 
households in particular. The Commission will work with Member States using structural 
funds to realise energy efficiency goals, and in particular with those Member States with 
the greatest potential for improvement. 

2.2. 

Public health  

Health is a global issue. Diseases spread quickly across continents. Europe needs to increase 
its  capacity  to  fight  cross-border  health  threats.  EU  efforts  have  to  be  accompanied  by 
effective action in neighbouring countries and at global level. Fighting health threats requires 
rapid  and  effective  response  and  functioning  health  systems,  management,  technology  and 
infrastructure capability. One Member State’s incapacity to react could put the whole EU at 
risk. Bridging health inequalities across the EU is therefore crucial. 

The  EU  also  has  an  obligation  to  support  international  efforts  to  improve  health  care. 
Currently 40 million globally suffer from HIV/AIDS. 24 million people have died, 5 million 
of  them  children.  Malaria  kills  more  than  a  million  people  every  year  –  mostly  children  in 
Sub-Saharan  Africa. The  growing  antibiotic  resistant  strains  of  bacteria  remain  a  serious 
problem.  

Health  promotion  and  disease  prevention  (by  addressing  health  determinants  at  the 
appropriate level) will reduce the economic and social burden of illness in the long-term. In 

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COM(2005) 628, 7.12.2005. 

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addition, better knowledge of the effects of pollutants on health, will also facilitate improved 
preventive and planning measures. 

Key actions:  

For the EU and its Member States to: 

•  Upgrade  their  action  plans  on  handling  health  threats  (in  preparation  for  a  possible 
pandemic,  taking  account  of  the  recently  updated  guidance  on  pandemic  influenza 
preparedness). 

•  Agree and implement an EU Strategy to address HIV/AIDS, including by taking steps to 
improve  surveillance  and  strengthen  co-operation  between  Member  States.  For  third 
countries,  efforts  need  to  be  stepped  up  to  implement  the  existing  EU  Programme  for 
Action to confront HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.  

•  Coordinate research into the links between environmental pollutants, exposure and health 
impacts  to  improve  our  understanding  of  what  environmental  factors  cause  health 
problems and how best to prevent them. 

2.3. 

Social exclusion, demography and migration 

Tackling poverty and social exclusion in the EU is not just about increasing low incomes. It is 
about  promoting  access  to  employment,  housing,  mobility,  health  care,  communication  and 
information services and above all education and skills training. A significant share of the EU 
population  (15%)  is  at  risk  of  poverty.  Childhood  poverty  is  a  particular  concern.  As 
discussed  at  the  informal  Heads  of  State  and  Government  meeting  at  Hampton  Court,  the 
fight against social exclusion has to be given urgent attention. 

The EU not only faces economic but also significant social challenges as a result of its ageing 
society.  Ageing  of  the  population  will  accelerate  until  2040,  which,  coupled  with  a  drop  in 
fertility  rates,  will  cause  the  working  population  to  contract. In  fact,  lower  fertility  together 
with rising life expectancy could mean that, by 2050, there will be two people of working age 
to support each elderly person, compared to four people today. These trends could also reduce 
growth rates. 

Governments  need  to  prepare  Europe's  economy  and  society  for  the  ageing  of  many  of  our 
societies.  Boosting  productivity  and  employment  participation,  in  particular  that  of  older 
workers  and  women,  is  necessary  to  maintain  our  capacity  for  sustained  economic  growth. 
Modernisation  of  Europe's  social  protection  systems,  notably  in  the  areas  of  pensions  and 
long-term care, is key as is the promotion of active and healthy ageing. More family-friendly 
policies  are  needed.  Effective  management  of  migration  flows,  including  the  positive 
integration of migrants and their families is essential. This also highlights the need to invest 
more and better in human capital from a lifecycle perspective to maintain the employability of 
workers. This includes the implementation of effective lifelong learning strategies by Member 
States. 

Key Actions:  

•  In  response  to  the  discussions  of  heads  of  state  and  government  at  Hampton  Court  in 
October  2005,  the  Commission  will  present  a  communication  in  early  2006  which  will 

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look  at  ways  in  which  the  EU  can  help  Member  States  respond  to  the  demographic 
challenges  it  faces,  notably  by  promoting  active  ageing  strategies,  the  integration  of 
immigrants and better conditions for families. It will consult social partners on whether to 
propose new initiatives to support reconciliation of work and private life. 

•  The Commission proposes a European Year of combating poverty and social exclusion. A 
roadmap for equality between women and men will be presented in 2006, to help achieve 
gender  equality  and  help  address  the  EU’s  demographic  challenge.  The  EU  supports  the 
efforts  of  Member  States  to  modernise  social  protection  systems  to  ensure  their 
sustainability.  

•  The  EU  and  its  Member  States  should  continue  to  develop  an  EU  policy  on  legal 
migration,  strengthen  the  integration  of  migrants  and  their  families  and  fight  illegal 
immigration.  The  Commission  has  proposed  support  to  Member  States  integration 
measures  through  a  European  Fund  for  the  integration  of  Third  Country  Nationals  for 
2007-2013. It has issued a policy plan on legal migration, including admission procedures. 
It will also propose a common policy framework to fight illegal immigration in 2006. 

2.4.  Management of natural resources 

We rely heavily on flows of natural resources – for raw materials, food, energy and land – and 
on  natural  processes  to  “absorb”  the  increasing  waste  produced  by  a  growing  human 
population,  now  of  some  six  billion.  The  UN’s  2005  Millennium  Ecosystem  Assessment 
suggests that two-thirds of the ecosystem services, on which humans depend, are in decline. 
Europe's demands on the planet have risen by almost 70% since the early 1960’s. Europeans 
are  estimated  to  use  4.9  hectares  of  productive  land  on  average  per  person  to  support  their 
lifestyles (compared to 9.5 for the USA and 1.5 for China), whereas the global average is 1.8 
hectares.  

Certain  land  and  sea  use  patterns  have  led  to  increased  traffic  congestion,  energy  use  and 
pollution,  increased  risk  from  flooding  and  loss  of  landscapes,  habitats,  and  biodiversity5. 
Global  patterns  of  resource  use  are  of  concern as  they  are  reducing  the  earth’s  regenerative 
capacity and the services that nature provides. The loss of bio-diversity, prompted in part by 
climate change, has economic impacts, including on tourism and sectors such as agriculture 
that  are  dependent  on  ecosystem  services  (pollination,  soil  fertility,  water  availability  and 
quality) or other sectors that use biological information as a source of innovation.  

By taking a lead in finding innovative solutions to a better management of resources, the EU 
can promote a more resource efficient economy and position itself as a world leader in eco-
efficient technologies. There is a growing realisation – not least among business – of the scale 
of  opportunity  to  be  seized  in  investing  in  eco-innovation.  The  market  for  sustainable 
products  and  processes  will  have  to  grow  to  meet  the  demands  of  a  fast  growing  global 
‘middle’  class,  for  consumer  goods  and  services  alongside  environmental  quality.  A 
coordinated  approach,  anticipating  the  need  to  shift  to  more  sustainable  production  and 
consumption process, will provide Europe with a competitive edge.  

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The European Environment Agency’s 2005 report on the State of the Environment recognises that over 
the  past  30  years  important  progress  has  been  made.  However,  the  environmental  situation  in  many 
aspects  remains  unsustainable.  This  can  only  be  addressed  through  more  effective  integration  of 
environmental concerns into other policy areas. 

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Governments  have  a  major  role  in  ensuring  success,  by  providing  a  predictable,  long-term 
regulatory  framework  that  rewards  eco-innovation  to  support  businesses  now  looking  to 
develop  sustainable  activities.  Public  authorities  have  the  purchasing  power  to  generate 
momentum  for  change.  In  the  EU,  for  example,  public  bodies  (such  as  local  authorities, 
schools, hospitals) buy EUR 1 600 billion worth of products and services each year – 16% of 
our  GDP.  This  can  be  used  to  create  the  critical  mass  needed  for  the  market  success  of 
sustainable technologies.  

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Key actions:  

•  Member  States  should,  together  with  the  Commission,  exchange  experiences  and  best 
practice  on  shifting  taxation  from  labour  to  consumption  and  /or  pollution  in  a  revenue-
neutral way, to contribute to the EU goals of increasing employment and of protecting the 
environment.  In  addition,  Member  States  should  make  more  effective  use  of  their 
considerable procurement power to support the uptake of innovative, more energy-efficient 
and cleaner applications. The Commission will propose a directive on public procurement 
of green vehicles. 

•  The EU will work with Member States and stakeholders to promote eco-innovation and to 
expand the market for eco-technologies. Member States should implement their roadmaps 
for environmental technologies. In the context of the 7th Research framework programme, 
the EU will provide funding to catalyse actions and drive forward research and technology 
development in key areas including hydrogen and fuel cells.  

•  The  Commission  will  draw  up  an  action  plan  to  promote  sustainable  production  and 
consumption, building on ongoing initiatives and instruments such as resource and waste 
policies, integrated product policy and standards, environmental management schemes and 
innovation and technology policies, to reinforce their impact, address any gaps and ensure 
their contribution to global initiatives. 

•  The  EU  and  Member  States  should  ensure  sufficient  funding  and  management  of  the 
Natura  2000  network  of  protected  areas,  and  better  integrate  biodiversity  concerns  into 
internal and external policies to halt the loss of biodiversity. 

2.5. 

Sustainable transport  

The availability of affordable transport has benefited us all. But we have also suffered from 
downsides  such  as  congestion,  health  impacts  and  environmental  degradation.  As  the 
economy  grows,  so  has  transport  demand.  High  growth  means  that  despite  significant 
improvements  in  vehicle  performance,  negative  impacts  are  rising  and  current  trends  are 
unsustainable.  

The  benefits  of  mobility  can  be  provided  with  much  lower  economic,  social  and 
environmental impacts. This can be done by reducing the need for transport (e.g. by changing 
land-use,  promoting 
telecommuting  and  videoconferencing),  making  better  use  of 
infrastructure  and  of  vehicles,  changing  modes,  for  example  to  use  rail  instead  of  road, 
cycling  and  walking  for  short  distances  and  developing  public  transport,  using  cleaner 
vehicles and developing alternatives to oil such as bio-fuels and hydrogen powered vehicles.  

The  benefits  of  more  sustainable  transport  are  wide  ranging  and  significant:  tackling 
congestion thereby cutting costs to businesses, saving people time and improving access for 
regional and local development, reducing climate change and biodiversity impacts, increasing 
security of energy supply by reducing oil dependence; improving the local environment and 
reducing impacts on health, in particular in urban areas. 

Key actions: 

•  The  EU  and  its  Member  States  should  focus  on  making  alternatives  to  road  transport  a 
more  attractive  option  for  freight  and  passengers,  including  by  developing  the  Trans-

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European Networks and intermodal links for freight logistics, to allow goods to shift easily 
between road, rail, and water transport. This will be the subject of a major political debate 
in the second half of 2006.  

•  The European Commission will continue to examine the use of infrastructure charging in 
the EU, drawing on successful local congestion charging schemes, EU-wide infrastructure 
charging  for  lorries  and  new  opportunities  arising  with  new  satellite,  information  and 
communication technologies. 

•  The  Commission  will  propose  a  package  of  measures  to  improve  the  environmental 
performance of cars by promoting clean and energy efficient vehicles including a Directive 
on  the  procurement  of  such  vehicles,  new  vehicle  standards,  and  increasing  the  use  of 
biofuels. It has already proposed that Member States differentiate taxes on passenger cars 
according to CO2 emissions. 

2.6. 

Global poverty and development challenges 

The global threats to sustainable development are all interconnected. Poverty, environmental 
degradation and conflict feed each other. More than one billion people live on less than one 
dollar a day and 2.7 billion live on less than two dollars. 2.6 billion people – over 40% of the 
world's population – do not have basic sanitation, and more than one billion still use unsafe 
sources of drinking water. Not only is poverty and inequality unjust but they are a threat to 
world  development,  long  term  prosperity,  peace  and  security.  Globalisation  means  that  our 
collective prosperity and security depend critically on success in fighting poverty. 

Action  is  needed  at  all  levels  –  by  the  EU  bilaterally  as  well  as  multilaterally,  and  in  an 
integrated way. The EU reaffirmed its commitment to global sustainable development at the 
UN World Summit in September 2005, by implementing actions from of the World Summit 
on  Sustainable  Development,  working  towards  achieving  the  Millennium  Development 
Goals, and pursuing the Doha Development Agenda. To meet global challenges, the EU has 
to make sure that its internal and external policies work well together for maximum impact.  

The EU is at the forefront of international efforts to eradicate poverty. It provides over half of 
the  world’s  aid  and  has  committed  to  further  increase  this  assistance,  both  in  quality  and 
quantity. It has recently adopted a “European Consensus on Development”, setting a common 
vision and means for development.  

Key Actions:  

•  The  EU  and  its  Member  States  should  increase  their  volume  of  aid  to  0.7%  of  Gross 
National  Income  (GDI)  in  2015  achieving  an  intermediate  target  of  0.56%  in  2010  with 
individual objectives of 0.51% for the EU-15 and 0.17% for the EU-10.  

•  The EU and its Member States should increase the effectiveness, coherence and quality of 
their  aid  policies  in  the  period  2005–2010  by  greater  co-ordination  between  Member 
States,  the  development  of  a  Common  EU  Programming  framework;  using  more  joint 
actions and co- financing of projects, increasing coherence between development and other 
policies.  They  should  increase  the  quality  of  aid  through  effective  budget  support,  debt 
reduction and untying of aid.  

•  The  EU  will  advocate  the  improvement  of  international  environmental  governance,  inter 

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alia  through  the  creation  of  a  UN  Environmental  Organisation  and  strengthening  of 
multilateral environmental agreements. It will step up its efforts to ensure that international 
trade is used as a tool  to achieve genuine global sustainable development, both in socio-
economic  and  environmental  terms.  It  will  do  so  both  in  a  multilateral  context  (WTO, 
Doha Round) and as part of its regional and bilateral trade relations.  

3. 

DELIVERING RESULTS 

3.1.  More effective follow-up 

There  is  a  need  for  monitoring  and  follow-up.  This  can  be  done  without  creating  new 
procedures or more paperwork. It will involve: 

•  Submitting a progress report from the Commission every two years. It will draw on the set 
of  sustainable  development  indicators,  designed  with  the  assistance  of  national  experts, 
adopted  by  the  Commission  in  February  20056.  A  first  report  with  the  latest  statistical 
information accompanies this Communication7. 

•  The  European  Council  and  the  European  Parliament  discussing  progress,  on  the  basis  of 
the  Commission’s  report,  reviewing  priorities  and  providing  general  orientations  on 
sustainable development at least every two years.  

•  The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions playing 
an  important  role  in  building  stronger  support  for  action,  for  example,  through  the 
organisation of regular stakeholder discussions and through acting as a catalyst to stimulate 
debate at national level as well. 

•  The  European  Commission  launching  a  review  of  the  Sustainable  Development  Strategy 

during 2009, involving a process of wide stakeholder consultation.  

In  addition,  all  Member  States  have  developed  their  own  national  sustainable  development 
strategies,  or  are  close  to  finalising  them;  many  of  them  report  regularly  on  progress  made. 
However,  the  opportunity  to  learn  from  each  other,  to  identify  what  has  worked  well  and 
where the pitfalls are, has not so far been fully exploited. The different national strategies and 
the European Strategy should as far as possible be mutually reinforcing so that the whole can 
become more than the sum of its parts. 

It is therefore proposed that Member States: 

•  Review  their  national  strategies  as  appropriate,  in  the  light  of  the  European  Union’s 
Strategy and publish them by no later than the end of 2006. Member States are encouraged 
to review, in particular, how the use of their national policy instruments (see section 3.2) 
could  be  made  more  effective  and  better  integrated  with  actions  taken  or  proposed  at 
European level. 

6 
7 

SEC(2005) 161. 
Measuring  progress  towards  a  more  sustainable  Europe  -  Sustainable  development  indicators  for  the 
European  Union’.  European  Commission,  Eurostat  Panorama  of  the  European  Union,  Luxembourg, 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 2005. ISBN 92-894-9768-8 

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•  On  the  basis  of  the  reviewed  national  strategies,  undertake  a  light  peer  review  process, 
focusing  on  specific  themes,  and  in  particular,  seeking  to  identify  examples  of  good 
policies and practices that could be implemented by all. The peer review could include an 
external  evaluation  dimension  possibly  with  support  from  the  network  of  national 
sustainable development advisory councils and involvement of third countries. A first pilot 
review, under the guidance of the Presidency, and with the assistance of the Commission, 
involving Member States who wish to volunteer, could be conducted during 2006. 

•  Consider, where these do not yet exist, the setting up of independent advisory councils on 
sustainable  development  to  stimulate  informed  debate  and  contribute  to  national  and  EU 
progress reviews. 

The  Commission  invites  candidate  countries  to  complete  their  national  strategies  and  align 
their reforms with the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. The Commission will take this 
into account in its progress reports.  

The EU strategy for sustainable development should feed into the international processes on 
sustainable development and help progress towards the Millennium Development Goals and 
the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. 

3.2. 

Better policy making 

Improving  policy  coherence:  impact  assessment  and  other  better  regulation 
tools. 

The  tools  to  help  policy-makers  to  identify  the  right  approach  exist  and  effective  impact 
assessment  should  be  applied  from  the  earliest  stages  of  policy  development.  This  enables 
policy-makers  to  identify  the  best  options  based  on  a  balanced  assessment  of  the  likely 
economic, social and environmental impacts, the links and tradeoffs between them and taking 
account of the views of stakeholders. For example, impact assessments of trade proposals are 
an important way of integrating external impacts into EU decision-making. These all promote 
the  integration  of  different  policies  leading  to  more  coherent  decisions  and  broader 
consideration  about  how  to  achieve  more  sustainable  outcomes,  exploiting  win-wins, 
identifying and addressing knock-on effects and trade-offs in the EU and internationally.  

Key Actions:  

•  All EU institutions should ensure that major policy decisions are based on proposals that 
have  undergone  impact  assessments,  consistent  with  the  inter-institutional  agreement  on 
Better Law-making. The Commission will ensure that all of its major initiatives are subject 
to  impact  assessment  and  that  completed  Impact  Assessments  are  made  available  to  the 
public when decisions are made. 

•  Member States should also make much wider use of impact assessment when developing 
policies when spending public funds and developing strategies, programmes and projects. 
They  should  follow  recommendations  in  the  Community  Strategic  Guidelines  to  ensure 
Cohesion and Structural Funds strengthen synergies between environmental protection and 
growth.  

•  Impact assessment should be complemented by a wider use of evaluation to assess ex-post 

the impact of policies.  

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•  The  EU  will  take  the  external  dimension  into  account  looking  at  impacts  of  policy 

proposals. 

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Using the most effective mix of instruments 

Governments and other public bodies have a wide range of tools by which they can encourage 
people to make changes - how they regulate, tax, procure, subsidise, invest, spend and provide 
information.  The  challenge  is  to  achieve  the  right  policy  mix  so  that  the  use  of  instruments 
and implementation of policies contribute to sustainable development. For instance, Member 
States should make the best use of structural funds to support sustainable development. 

Perhaps the most powerful method to promote change is to ensure that markets send the right 
signals (“getting prices right”), thus providing a powerful incentive for people to change their 
behaviour and shape the market place accordingly. This can be done by making sure that all 
of us, producers and consumers alike, face the full costs and consequences of our decisions – 
when we are making those decisions. For example, this means building the cost imposed on 
others  in  society  by  “polluters”  into  the  price  of  the  product,  as  some  Member  States  have 
already  done  (for  example,  through  charges  or green  taxes).  In  this  way,  producers  have  an 
incentive to produce and consumers an incentive to consume more environmentally-friendly 
goods and services.  

Sometimes governments can have an important impact simply by providing information to the 
public and businesses, to help them choose better options. Good examples exist of labelling 
and  information  services  on  the  energy  consumption  and  environmental  performance  of 
electrical goods, household products and services. Many public authorities across the EU have 
developed effective communication strategies to encourage citizens to sort waste for recycling 
purposes, to travel more sustainably or to save energy.  

Education is a prerequisite for promoting behavioural change. The Commission will work to 
support  Member  States  actions  on  education,  investment  in  human  capital  and  life  long 
learning for sustainable development. 

Key Actions:  

•  The EU will seek to use the full range of policy instruments, whilst promoting the use of 
market based instruments for the flexibility they offer in meeting sustainable development 
objectives. Member States should ensure that full use is made of the array of instruments at 
governments’  disposal  and  that  any  subsidies  provided  are  used  in  a  manner  which  is 
coherent with the objectives of sustainable development and in accordance with the Treaty. 

•  The  Commission  will  mainstream  sustainable  development  in  its  information  and 
communication activities, for both internal and external EU policies. The Commission will 
continue,  together  with  other  Community  institutions,  to  organise  events  and  stakeholder 
fora on the various strands of the strategy, to raise knowledge and awareness, disseminate 
new  ideas  and  exchange  best  practice.  Surveys8  consistently  show  that  Europeans’ 
awareness of sustainability issues is high. The challenge is to translate that awareness into 
more  sustainable  behaviour.  Effective  communication  needs  to  be  geared  to  national  and 
local audiences, so Member States have a key role. 

8 

Refer to Eurobarometer. 

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Mobilising actors and multiplying success 

The EU and its Member States have a critical role to play, but they cannot – and should not – 
be the sole guardians of the sustainable development agenda. Other actors will need to take 
action:  businesses,  regional  and  local  authorities,  NGOs,  social  partners,  universities  and 
schools, and individual citizens and consumers. Progress will rely on the enormous creative 
and market power of business, and of regional and local bodies and authorities.  

More and more business leaders recognise that it pays to care about sustainable development. 
The  most  successful  companies  see  that  paying  attention  to  sustainable  development  spurs 
investment  in  new  technologies,  processes  and  products  which  the  customer  wants9.  They 
know that it makes good business sense to plan ahead and know where to invest for the future. 
They know there are opportunities if we have vision, for example by moving towards a low 
carbon economy. They know they can have influence on those from whom they source their 
inputs. They need however a stable regulatory framework for action.  

Social  partners  also  play  a  key  role:  active  dialogue  between  employers  and  employees  is 
important  for  tackling  the  social  dimensions  of  sustainable  development,  such  as  work 
organisation, skills and training and equal opportunities. 

In  addition,  many  regional  governments  and  municipalities  have  stepped  up  their  efforts  to 
find  practical  solutions  to  problems.  As  they  are  often  the  ones  providing  public  services, 
from public transport to power generation, from waste collection to caring for the poor, they 
are  well  placed  to  effect  practical  change  on  the  ground.  There  is  major  scope  for  learning 
from their successes. Good examples abound. 

Key Actions:  

The Commission:  

•  Calls  on  the  business  leaders  and  other  key  stakeholders  of  Europe  to  engage  in  urgent 
reflection  with  political  leaders  on  the  medium-  and  long-term  policies  needed  for 
sustainability  and  propose  ambitious  business  responses  which  go  beyond  existing 
minimum legal requirements. Such an initiative fits well with the Commission’s efforts to 
encourage  corporate  social  responsibility  and  complements  the  dialogue  with  social 
partners and civil society. The Commission will work with the Presidency to see how best 
to foster this process. 

•  Will invite proposals from other EU institutions and organisations on how best to organise 
ways  to  reward  the  best  sustainable  development  initiatives  taken  by  regional  and  local 
authorities. 

9 

For example, many relevant studies have found evidence of a positive link between environmental governance and 
financial performance. The 50 companies rated best in terms of their corporate sustainability reports have a higher 
credit rating than the average. 

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4. 

CONCLUSIONS 

There are real opportunities for a better life, greater social justice and the emergence of new 
innovative industries where Europe, with the right policies, can lead the world. However, we 
can  only  benefit  from  these  opportunities  if  we  deal  now  with  the  threats  to  sustainability 
resulting from our way of life. Success in reversing unsustainable trends is both indispensable 
and achievable, as plenty of success stories from around the world illustrate.  

This review of the EU’s Sustainable Development Strategy aims to bring the EU Institutions, 
Member States, businesses and citizens and their representative organisations together behind 
a  clear  vision  and  political  framework  for  action.  The  Commission,  therefore,  invites  the 
Council and the Parliament to endorse the proposed approach, to seek urgent progress on the 
actions  identified,  and  to  work  closely  together  in  the  run-up  to  the  2006  June  European 
Council to forge strong and broad-based support behind a shared strategy. 

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ANNEXES

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ANNEX 1 DECLARATION ON GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR SUSTAINABLE 
DEVELOPMENT - COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION Presidency Conclusions DOC 
10255/05 BRUSSELS EUROPEAN COUNCIL 16 and 17 JUNE 2005................................... 22 

ANNEX 2 OBJECTIVES, TARGETS, POLICIES AND ACTIONS – GETTING PROGRESS 
ON THE SDS............................................................................................................................ 25 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE ......................................................................... 26 

PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH – PUBLIC HEALTH.............................................. 27 

COMBATING SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND ADDRESSING DEMOGRAPHIC 
CHANGE.................................................................................................................... 28 

BETTER MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.......................................... 30 

MAKING TRANSPORT MORE SUSTAINABLE ....................................................... 32 

FIGHTING GLOBAL POVERTY AND PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT ................ 34 

ANNEX 3 THE 2005 REVIEW OF THE EU SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY: 
INITIAL STOCKTAKING AND FUTURE ORIENTATIONS - COMMUNICATION FROM 
THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 
{COM(2005) 37} ...................................................................................................................... 37 

Foreword.................................................................................................................................. 38 

Part I: Sustainable Development – What is at stake? ..................................................................  

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Introduction....................................................................................................................  

The European union’s approach to sustainable development .......................................  

Why a review? ................................................................................................................  

Taking Stock of Progress ...............................................................................................  

Part II: Responding to the challenges..........................................................................................  

5. 

5.1. 

5.2. 

5.3. 

5.4. 

5.5. 

Future Orientations........................................................................................................  

Reaffirm the basic principles of the European Union Sustainable Development 
Strategy ..........................................................................................................................  

Reaffirm the new approach to policy making and policy coherence .............................  

Maintaining a focus on key unsustainable trends and exploring the linkages between 
unsustainable trends in greater detail............................................................................  

Setting objectives, targets and milestones......................................................................  

Ensuring effective monitoring ........................................................................................  

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5.6. 

Strengthen ownership and improve co-operation with public and private actors at all 
levels...............................................................................................................................  

6. 

Next steps .......................................................................................................................  

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ANNEX 1 

DECLARATION ON GUIDING PRINCIPLES  
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 
Presidency Conclusions DOC 10255/05 
BRUSSELS EUROPEAN COUNCIL 
16 and 17 JUNE 2005 

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Sustainable development is a key objective set out in the Treaty, for all European Community 
policies. 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  full 
employment  and  a  high  level  of  education,  health  protection,  social  and  territorial  cohesion 
and 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:  

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

Key objectives 

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.  

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS  

Policy guiding principles 

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 
and the elimination of social exclusion worldwide.  

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SOLIDARITY WITHIN AND BETWEEN GENERATIONS 

Address  the  needs  of  current  generations  without  compromising  the  ability  of  future 
generations to meet their needs in the European Union 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  enhance  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.  

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  

Where  there  is  scientific  uncertainty,  implement  evaluation  procedures  and  take  appropriate 
preventive action in order to avoid damage to human health or to the environment. 

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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ANNEX 2  

OBJECTIVES, TARGETS, POLICIES AND ACTIONS – GETTING PROGRESS ON 
THE SDS 

This  annex  contains  a  selection  of  key  EU  strategies,  action  plans  and  other  initiatives  in 
support of sustainable development. Reference is made to operational objectives and targets 
where  these  exist.  In  addition,  many  Member  States  have  developed  their  own  sustainable 
development  strategies  and  action  plans.  Indeed,  in  several  areas,  Member  States  are  best 
placed  to  bring  about  change.  The  EU  can  support  and  complement  Member  State  actions, 
facilitate  exchange  of  best  practice  and  act  as  a  focal  point  for  review  of  progress  and 
promotion of further action.  

The Sustainable Development Strategy provides the strategic policy framework for how best 
to address the main unsustainable trends. An essential element of this framework is the inter 
linkages  between  the  trends.  There  are  multiple  inter  linkages  between  the  key  priorities 
identified  in  the  core  document.  A  clear  example  of  this  is  that  by  increasing  the  use  of 
renewable  energy,  we  will  also  combat  climate  change.  Similarly,  by  improving  land  use, 
making transport more sustainable and changing energy patterns, we also protect biodiversity. 
The different strategies and action plans should therefore not be considered in isolation. Each, 
in  its  own  way,  will  make  a  contribution  to  solving  problems  in  other  areas.  It  is  important 
that  the  inter  linkages  are  well  understood  and  that  policy  answers  are  developed  which 
integrate  different  aspects  with  a  view  to  achieving  win-win  situations.  The  issue  of  inter 
linkages  between  trends  is  an  area  which  still  needs  further  development.  The  Commission 
assesses the impact of all its new major policy initiatives. 

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1. 

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE 

Overall Objective 

To limit climate change and its costs to society 

Operational objectives and targets 

•  In March 2005, the European Council reconfirmed its aim for  a global  surface  average 
temperature  not  to  rise  by  more  than  2°C  compared  to  pre-industrial  levels10  nd  that 
therefore concentration levels lower than 550 ppm CO2 should guide global limitation and 
reduction efforts 

•  The  EU-15  and  most  EU-25  Member  States  are  committed  under  the  Kyoto  Protocol  to 
targets  for  reducing  greenhouse  gases  by  2008-2012.  The  EU-15  target  is  for  an  8% 
reduction in emissions compared to 1990 levels 

•  To contribute to this ultimate aim, as agreed by the European Council in March 2005, the 
EU  will  explore  with  other  parties,  strategies  for  achieving  necessary  emission 
reductions in greenhouse gases and will consider, in this context, reduction pathways for 
the  group  of  developed  countries  in  order  of  15-30%  by  2020  compared  to  the  baseline 
envisaged in the Kyoto protocol 

Examples of Key Actions: Ongoing and Planned 

•  Development of EU Climate Change for the post 2012 world. Communication adopted 

February 2005, COM(2005) 35. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/future_action.htm 

•  Second phase of the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP). Launched October 

2005. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/eccp.htm 

•  EU GHG Emission Trading Scheme, adopted January 2005, Directive 2003/87/EC. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/climat/emission.htm 

•  10-Year Implementation Plan for Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) 

2005-2015. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/environment/newsanddoc/article_2211_en.htm 

•  Green paper on energy efficiency, COM(2005) 265. Adopted June 2005. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/efficiency/doc/2005_06_green_paper_book_en.pdf 

•  Energy Efficiency Action Plan. Adoption foreseen 2006. 

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2000/com2000_0247en01.pdf 

10 

Sources:  IPPC  2nd  Assessment  Report,  Council  Conclusions  1996,  COM(2005)  35,  p.  3;  European 
Council Conclusions March 2005. 

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•  New and renewable energies. Communication on the support of electricity from renewable 
energy  sources,  based  on  implementation  of  Directive  2001/77/EC,  COM(2005)  627. 
Adopted December 2005.   
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/legislation/electricity_en.htm 

•  Biomass action plan. Adopted December 2005. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/biomass_action_plan/index_en.htm 

•  Sustainable energy Europe campaign. 

http://www.sustenergy.org/ 

2. 

PROMOTING GOOD HEALTH – PUBLIC HEALTH 

Overall objectives  

To promote good public health and improve protection against health threats 

Operational objectives and targets 

•  To  improve  protection  against  health  threats  by  developing  capacity  to  respond  to 

threats in a co-ordinated manner 

•  To further improve food and feed legislation, including review of food labelling 

•  To  continue  to  promote  high  animal  health  and  welfare  standards  in  the  EU  and 

internationally  

•  To  curb  the  increase  in  preventable  life  style  diseases  through  health  promotion  and 

prevention 

•  To  ensure  that  chemicals  are  produced,  handled  and  used  in  ways  that  do  not  pose 

significant threats to human health and the environment by 2020 

•  To improve information on environmental pollution and adverse health impacts 

Examples of Key Actions: Ongoing and Planned 

•  General Health Strategy as a follow up to Health and Consumer Programme 2007-2013, 

COM(2005) 115. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm 

•  The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, set up 2005, following 

Regulation (EC) No 851/2004. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_overview/strategy/ecdc/ecdc_en.htm 

•  Strategy on HIV/AIDS. Expected adoption end 2005. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/human_social/docs/health/Programme
%20for%20Action%20(EN).pdf#zoom=100 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/health/poverty-diseases/aids_en.html 

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•  Communication on pandemic influenza preparedness, COM(2005) 607. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/COMM_PDF_COM_2005_06
07_F_EN_ACTE.pdf 

•  Communication on Generic Preparedness Planning for Public Health Threats, COM(2005) 

605. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_threats/com/Influenza/COMM_PDF_COM_2005_06
05_F_EN_ACTE.pdf 

•  Recommendation on improving patient safety by prevention and control of healthcare 

associated infections. Adoption foreseen 2006. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/health/ph_threats/com/comm_diseases_cons01_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2004/com2004_0301en01.pdf 

•  Follow up and implementation of White Paper on Food Safety, COM(1999) 719. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/intro/white_paper_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/library/pub/pub06_en.pdf 

•  Animal Health Strategy – Community Action Plan on the Protection and Welfare of 

Animals 2006-2010. To be adopted 2007. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/animal/diseases/strategy/index_en.htm 

•  EU Environment and Health Action Plan for the period 2004-2010, COM(2004) 416. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/health/index_en.htm 

•  Council Regulation for the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals 

(REACH), COM(2003) 644. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/chemicals/reach.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/reach/index_en.htm 

3. 

COMBATING  SOCIAL  EXCLUSION  AND  ADDRESSING  DEMOGRAPHIC 
CHANGE 

Overall Objective 

To create a socially inclusive society 

Operational objectives and targets 

•  To pursue the setting of specific EU targets for reducing the number of people at risk of 
poverty by 2010 with special focus on the need to reduce child poverty, in the context of 
the OMC 

•  To  support  Member  States  in  their  efforts  to  modernise  social  protection  in  view  of 

demographic ageing 

•  To significantly increase the labour market participation of women and older workers 

according to set targets, as well as increasing employment of migrants by 2010 

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•  To  continue  developing  an  EU  legal  migration  policy,  accompanied  by  policies  to 

strengthen the integration of migrants and their families 

•  To pursue lifelong learning and halve by 2010 the number of 18 to 24 year olds with only 

lower secondary education who are not in education and training 

Member States are the main actors in achieving real results against these targets. The EU can 
support  and  complement  Member  State  actions;  the  EU  can  facilitate  exchange  of  best 
practice and act as a focal point for review of progress and promotion of further action. The 
Social  Agenda  outlines  the  EU  actions  with  the  aim  of  achieving  full  employment  and  an 
inclusive society. 

The  Commission  and  Council11  outlined  a  strategy  to  tackle  budget  implications  of  ageing 
populations,  under  which  Member  States  should  reduce  public  debt  levels  to  pre-empt  the 
budgetary  consequences of ageing populations, and undertake comprehensive labour-market 
reforms,  including  tax  and  benefit  systems  to  reach  higher  employment  rates,  in  particular 
among older workers and women, as well as ambitious reforms of pension systems in order to 
contain pressures on public finances.  

Examples of Key Actions: Ongoing and Planned 

•  OMC on Social Protection and Inclusion. Ongoing. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/social_protection/index_en.htm 

•  Community Action Programme on Employment and Social Solidarity ‘PROGRESS’, 

2007-2013. To be adopted 2006. 
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2004/com2004_0488en01.pdf 

•  OMC on Education and Training (“Education and Training 2010”). Ongoing. 

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/pdf/2004/com2004_0488en01.pdf 

•  Integrated Action Programme in the field of Lifelong Learning 2007-2013, COM(2004) 

474. To be adopted 2006. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/newprog/index_en.html 

•  Communication on the demographic future of Europe. To be adopted 2006. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/social_situation/green_paper_en.html 

•  A Health and Safety Strategy 2007-2012, communication to be adopted 2006. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/employment_social/index_en.htm 

•  Roadmap for equality between men and women, communication to be adopted 2006. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/gender_equality/index_en.html 

11 

Council of the European Union (2001), ‘The contribution of public finances to growth and employment: 
improving  quality  and  sustainability’,  report  of  the  Commission  and  the  (Ecofin)  Council  to  the 
European  Council  (Stockholm,  23  and  24  March  2001),  699/01;  European  Commission  (2000), 
‘Communication on the contribution of public finances to growth and employment: improving quality 
and sustainability’, COM(2000) 846. 

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•  Communication on non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all, COM(2005) 224 – 

European Year 2007. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/fundamental_rights/index_en.htm 

•  European Year on tackling poverty and social exclusion 2010. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/social_inclusion/index_en.htm 

•  The new generation of structural and cohesion funds, adopted 2004 - COM(2004) 493, 

COM(2004) 494, COM(2004) 495. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/funds/2007/index_en.htm 

•  Proposal to establish a European Migration Monitoring Centre. Adoption foreseen in 2005. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/doc_centre/immigration/doc_immigration_intro_e
n.htm 

•  Green Paper on the future of the European Migration Network, COM(2005) 606. Adopted 

2005. 
http://www.european-migration-network.org/ 

•  Follow-up to Communication on “A Common Agenda for Integration: Framework for the 

Integration of Third-Country Nationals in the European Union”, COM(2005) 389. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/funding/inti/funding_inti_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2005/com2005_0389en01.pdf 

•  Action plan against Trafficking in human beings. Adoption end 2005. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/justice_home/fsj/crime/trafficking/fsj_crime_human_trafficking
_en.htm 

4. 

BETTER MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES 

Overall Objective 

Safeguard the earth’s capacity to support life in all its diversity, respect the limits of the 
planet’s natural resources and promote sustainable production and consumption to break the 
link between economic growth and environmental degradation. 

Operational objectives and targets 

•  Improve  resource  productivity:  get  more  output  from  each  unit  of  resource  used  and 
reduce  the  environmental  damage  (noxious  emissions  to  air,  water  and  soil  as  well  as 
overexploitation of land and other resources) caused by each unit  

•  Improve management and avoid overexploitation of renewable natural resources such as 
fisheries,  biodiversity,  forestry,  water,  air,  soil  and  climate,  restore  degraded  marine 
ecosystems by 2015 in line with Johannesburg Plan of Implementation agreed at the World 
Summit  on  Sustainable  Development  (WSSD) 
to  achieve  Maximum 
Sustainable Yield in Fisheries by 2015 

including 

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•  To consider how to reduce EU energy consumption by 2020, given the 20% estimated 
cost-effective potential for savings in energy consumption. The Commission is launching a 
discussion on this  

•  12% of energy consumption from renewable sources by 2010 

•  21% of EU-25 electricity consumption to be met by renewable sources by 2010. This 

provides the basis for national indicative targets 

•  Halt the loss of biodiversity in the EU by 2010 and contribute effectively to significantly 

reduce the worldwide rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 

•  Implementation and management of Natura 2000: sites adopted by 2006 (marine sites 

2010); sites designated and under effective management by 2010 (marine sites 2012)  

•  Harness  technological  development  towards  decoupling  between  economic  growth  and 

environmental pressure 

Examples of Key Actions: Ongoing and Planned 

•  Environmental technologies action plan (ETAP), COM(2004) 38. Definition of the 

conditions for establishing environmental performance targets for key products, with 
Member States and key stakeholders by 2007. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/etap/ 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/docum/9842sm.htm 

•  Action Plan for Sustainable Production and Consumption. Adoption foreseen 2007. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/index_en.htm  

•  Thematic Strategy on the sustainable use of resources. Adoption December 2005. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/natres/ 

•  Thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of waste. Adoption December 2005.  

 http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/strategy.htm 

•  Integrated Product Policy (IPP), follow-up to COM(2003) 302. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/ipp/home.htm 

•  Greening of public procurement, including a proposed directive on public procurement of 
clean and energy efficient vehicles foreseen end 2005 and examination, with Member 
States, of how best to promote green public procurement for other major product groups, 
by 2007 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/gpp/index.htm 

•  Rural Development Strategic Guidelines, strategic guidelines, National Strategies and 

Rural Development Programmes for the period 2007–2013, COM(2005) 304. 
Adopted 2005. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/capreform/rdguidelines/index_en.htm 

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•  Thematic Strategy on Soil. Adoption foreseen in 2006. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/strategy.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/soil/ 

•  Thematic Strategy on air pollution, COM(2005) 446. Adopted September 2005.  

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/cafe/ 

•  Protection of the marine environment including the Thematic Strategy on the protection 

and conservation of the marine environment and other actions. Adoption 2005.  
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/marine.htm 

•  The EU Water Framework Directive - integrated river basin management for Europe, 

Implementation of Directive 2000/60/EC. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/water-framework/index_en.html 

•  European Biodiversity Strategy. Adopted 1998. Communication on biodiversity strategy to 

be adopted 2006. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/nature/nature_conservation/natura_2000_network/
managing_natura_2000/index_en.htm 

•  Implementing multilateral environmental agreements. Ongoing. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/international_issues/agreements_en.htm 

•  Green paper on maritime affairs. Adoption foreseen in early 2006.  

http://europa.eu.int/comm/fisheries/maritime/index_en.htm 

•  Green Diplomacy Network. Ongoing. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/env/ 

•  EU Forest Action Plan. Adoption foreseen 2006. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/index_en.htm 

5. 

MAKING TRANSPORT MORE SUSTAINABLE 

Overall Objective 

Ensure that our transport systems meet society’s economic and social needs whilst minimising 
their undesirable impacts on the economy, society and the environment. 

Operational objectives and targets 

•  Improve  transport  demand  management  in  order  to  reduce  the  negative  effects  of 

transport growth 

•  Achieve  sustainable  levels  of  transport  energy  use  in  line  with  other  sectors  and  reduce 

transport greenhouse gas emissions proportionately more than transport energy use 

•  Reduce  pollutant  emissions  from  transport  to  levels  that  minimise  effects  on  human 

health or the environment 

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•  Ensure  that  the  average  new  car  fleet  achieves  CO2  emissions  of  140g/km  by  2008/09 

and 120g/km by 2012, as part of an integrated policy approach. 

•  Work towards the introduction of Euro V emission standards for light duty vehicles and 

introduce Euro VI for heavy vehicles 

•  By 2010 ensure that 5.75 % of transport fuel is biofuels  

•  Reduce transport noise both at source and through mitigation measures to ensure overall 

exposure levels minimise impacts on health 

•  Increase road safety by improving road infrastructure, encouraging road users to be more 

responsible and by making vehicles safer 

•  By 2010 halve road transport deaths compared to 2000 

•  By  2010  modernise  the  EU  framework  for  public  passenger  transport  services  to 

encourage better efficiency and performance 

Examples of Key Actions: Ongoing and Planned 

•  White paper “European transport policy for 2010: time to decide” and mid-term review, 

COM(2001) 370. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/library/lb_texte_complet_en.pdf 

•  EU strategy on CO2 emissions from light duty vehicles. Communication on revised 

strategy to be adopted September 2006. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/co2/co2_home.htm 

•  Promoting the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels for transport, Directive 

2003/30/EC. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/legislation/biofuels_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/res/legislation/doc/biofuels/en_final.pdf 

•  Clean Urban Transport. Civitas II launched early 2005.  

http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy_transport/en/cut_en.html 
http://www.civitas-initiative.org/main.phtml?lan=en 

•  Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment. To be adopted January 2006 – including a 

measure on sustainable urban transport plans. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/home_en.htm 

•  Transport infrastructure charging. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/infr-charging/charging_en.html 

•  Third railway package to make rail more attractive, adopted 2004, including COM(2004) 

140. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/rail/package2003/new_en.htm 

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6. 

FIGHTING GLOBAL POVERTY AND PROMOTING DEVELOPMENT 

Overall objectives 

To 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 

Operational objectives and targets 

The  EU  will  implement  its  commitments  related  to  the  international  framework  for 
sustainable  development,  whose  building  blocks  are  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable 
Development  (Johannesburg),  the  Monterrey  Consensus,  the  outcome  of  the  Millennium 
Review Summit and of the World Summit. 

The EU will make a significant contribution to the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. 
These are: 

•  To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger  

•  To reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than a dollar a day 

•  To reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger 

•  To achieve universal primary education 

•  To ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling 

•  To promote gender equality and empower women 

•  To  eliminate  gender  disparity  in  primary  and  secondary  education  preferably  by 

2005, and at all levels by 2015 

•  To reduce child mortality 

•  To reduce by two thirds the mortality rate among children under five 

•  To improve maternal health 

•  To reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratio 

•  To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases 

•  To halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS 

•  To halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases 

•  To ensure environmental sustainability  

•  To  integrate  the  principles  of  sustainable  development  into  country  policies  and 

programmes; reverse loss of environmental resources 

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•  To  reduce  by  half  the  proportion  of  people  without  sustainable  access  to  safe 

drinking water 

•  To achieve significant improvement in lives of at least 100 million slum-dwellers 

by 2020 

•  To  develop  a  global  partnership  for  development  including  developing  further  an  open 

trading and financial system  

To achieve these, the EU will in particular: 

1) increase aid volumes; 2) improve the quality, coherence and effectiveness of its aid; 3) 
implement EU strategy on Africa; 4) promote Conflict Prevention; 5) implement the EU 
Development  Policy  –  the  European  Consensus  on  Development;6)  ensure  the  successful 
completion  of  the  Doha  Development  Agenda  and  its  contribution  to  the  MDGs  and 
sustainable  development,  7)  implement  the  GSP  Plus,  8)  ensure  its  regional  and  bilateral 
trade  agreements  contribute  to  sustainable  development,  9)  support  global  sustainable 
development  

Actions: Ongoing and Planned 

•  Accelerating progress towards attaining the MDGs, COM(2005) 132.  

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/communications/communications_en.htm 

•  EU Strategy for Africa, COM(2005) 489.  

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/communications/docs/eu_strategy_for_africa
_12_10_2005_en.pdf#zoom=100 

•  Financing for Development and Aid effectiveness, COM(2005) 133. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/communications/docs/communication_133_e
n.pdf 

•  Policy Coherence for development, COM(2005) 134. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/communications/docs/communication_134_e
n.pdf 

•  General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) Conclusions: The European 
Union Development Policy ”The European Consensus”, based on the Communication 
COM(2005) 311. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/development_policy_statement/index_en. 

•  Doha Development Agenda. Ongoing. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/newround/doha_da/index_en.htm 

•  Bilateral and regional trade agreements (such as Economic Partnership Agreements with 

the ACP countries). Ongoing. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/cotonou/index_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/bilateral/index_en.htm 

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•  Harnessing globalisation – Actions. 

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/index_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/sia/index_en.htm 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/csr/index_en.htm 

•  Implementation of EU commitments under the World Summit on Sustainable 

Development, EU Water Initiative, EU Energy Initiative, 10-Year Implementation Plan on 
international sustainable production and consumption practices. Ongoing. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/wssd/index_en.html 

•  EU international programme for Action to confront HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, 

2007, COM(2004) 726. 
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/theme/human_social/pol_health3_en.htm 

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ANNEX 3 

THE 2005 REVIEW OF THE EU SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY:  
INITIAL STOCKTAKING AND FUTURE ORIENTATIONS 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT  
{COM(2005) 37} 

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Foreword 

Sustainable development is a fundamental objective of the European Union, but it is 
also  a  global  challenge  faced  by  our  partners  around  the  world.  It  raises  the 
questions  of  how  to  reconcile  economic  development,  social  cohesion,  north/south 
equity and protection of the environment. Its importance is reflected in the EU Treaty 
and  taken  up  in  the  Constitution,  which  challenges  the  Union  “to  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 and 
social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the 
environment”.  

With rapid demographic changes, the next decades will put enormous and increasing 
pressure  on  the  world’s  resources,  whether  in  terms  of  climate  change,  natural 
resources,  biodiversity,  or  the  wealth  gap  between  North  and  South.  We  must  take 
action  today  in  order  to  preserve  for  tomorrow  the  delicate  economic,  social  and 
environmental balances governing the globe.  

Europe’s  future  can  only  be  seen  in  this  global  context.  The  EU  has  already  made 
significant  efforts  to  promote  sustainable  development  at  home  and  internationally. 
By  taking  a  proactive  approach,  the  EU  can  turn  the  need  for  environmental 
protection and social cohesion into opportunities for innovation, growth and jobs. With 
the review of the sustainable development strategy (SDS) we recall our commitments 
to better define the structural changes needed in our economies and society, and set 
up a positive agenda to steer this process of change for better quality of life for all. 

To  respond  to  this  challenge,  co-ordinated  action  and  strong  leadership  is  needed 
from  the  Union  in  order  to  shape  solutions  that  can  make  a  lasting  difference  to 
people in Europe and in every part of the world.  

This  is  why  at  the  start  of  this  millennium  the  European  Union  engaged  itself  in  a 
compelling  agenda  for  change,  to  ensure  that  we  start  to  face  up  to  unsustainable 
economic,  social  and  environmental  trends.  In  2000  the  Lisbon  Strategy  set  out  an 
ambitious  agenda  of  economic  and  social  reforms  to  create  a  highly  dynamic  and 
competitive  knowledge-based  economy.  In  2001  a  broad  Strategy  for  Sustainable 
Development was launched by the European Council in Gothenburg and in 2002 its 
external  dimension  was  defined  in  Barcelona,  ahead  of  the  UN’s  World  Summit  on 
Sustainable  Development  in  the  summer  of  2002.  Each  of  these  steps  has  been 
accompanied  by  important  decisions  and  action  to  fulfil  the  commitments  made. 
However, despite all this not enough progress has been seen; unsustainable trends 
have yet to start to reverse and the international stakes remain high.  

The combination of the start of a new Commission and the arrival of a new European 
Parliament  provides  the  right  moment  to  take  stock  of  progress  and  to  push  to 
accelerate the pace of change.  

The  first  steps  have  been  made.  The  Commission  in  proposing  the  Strategic 
Objectives  for  the  Union  over  the  next  five  years  has  reaffirmed  its  commitment  to 
sustainable  development.  It  has  just  proposed  in  the  mid-term  review  of  the  Lisbon 

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Strategy  to  make  a  renewed  Lisbon  agenda  our  strategy  for  growth  and  jobs; 
allowing us to use the motor of a more dynamic economy to fuel our wider social and 
environmental  ambition.  In  this  way,  Lisbon  remains  an  essential  component  of  the 
overarching  objective  of  sustainable  development  set  out  in  the  Treaty:  improving 
welfare and living conditions in a sustainable way for present and future generations. 
As  the  Commission  affirmed  in  the  mid-term  review:  “Both  Lisbon  and  the 
Sustainable  Development  Strategy  contribute  to  ensuring  this  goal.  Being  mutually 
reinforcing,  they  target  complementary  actions,  use  a  range  of  instruments  and 
produce their results in different time frames.” 

Moreover, the review of the Lisbon strategy is accompanied by the launch also today 
by  the  Commission  of  an  updated  EU  Social  Agenda;  an  agenda  mapping  out  the 
policies  that  can  help  to  ensure  a  more  cohesive  continent  and  the  further 
development of our social model in response to unsustainable trends. In this way, our 
Social Agenda is contributing in its own right to the goal of sustainable development.  

in  2005.  This  report  provides  an 

This  Communication  represents  the  Commission’s  first  step  in  reviewing  the 
Sustainable  Development  Strategy 
initial 
assessment  of  the  progress  made  since  2001  and  outlines  a  number  of  future 
orientations,  which  can  guide  the  review  of  the  Sustainable  Development  Strategy 
which  will  be  presented  in  a  separate  Communication  to  the  European  Parliament 
and  Council  later  this  year.  This  Communication  builds  on  debate  over  the 
proceeding  year,  including  the  opinion  of  the  European  Economic  and  Social 
Committee  last  April  and  the  results  of  a  public  consultation  launched  by  the 
Commission last October12. 

The  European  Union  has  a  broad,  long  term  vision  on  its  future.  We  believe  in  the 
strength and underlying values of our dynamic European model. We will ensure that 
the  needs  of  the  present  and  future  generations  can  be  met.  This  fundamental 
objective will transpire in all Union policies. Sustainable development requires action 
now. The European Union has the capacity, competence and creativity to make the 
changes  needed.  Europeans  and  all  other  citizens  of  the  world  can  count  on  the 
Union’s commitment to ensure a sustainable future for all. 

12 

A  more  detailed  summary  of  the  outcome  of  these  exercises  is  set  out  in  Parts  1  and  2  of  the 
Commission staff working document, SEC(2005) 225. The full Commission report on the consultation 
results will shortly be available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/sustainable/pages/review_en.htm. 

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Part I: Sustainable Development – What is at stake? 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Sustainable  Development  –  meeting  the  needs  of  the  present  generation  without 
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs – is a fundamental 
objective  under  the  Treaty  on  European  Union13  and  the  Constitution.  It  is  an 
overarching  concept  which  underpins  all  Union  policies,  actions  and  strategies  and 
requires  economic,  environmental  and  social  policies 
to  be  designed  and 
implemented in a mutually reinforcing way.  

In an ever more globalised world, clear political leadership is necessary to promote a 
dynamic  European  model  for  today  and  in  the  future.  The  Commission  is  firmly 
committed  to  sustainable  development  and  wants  to  set  a  positive  agenda  for 
change. Our future in Europe and in the world requires a long term vision and action 
across  a  wide  range  of  policies.  The  Commission  is  convinced  that  we  need  to 
improve prosperity, solidarity and security in order to deliver a better quality of life for 
us and future generations. We need growth and more jobs, a cleaner and healthier 
environment. We need a more cohesive society where prosperity and opportunity is 
shared across the European Union and beyond. We need more innovation, research 
and  education.  We  need  to  fulfil  our  global  responsibilities  and  commitments.  Our 
future  prosperity  and  quality  of  life  will  depend  on  our  capacity  and  commitment  to 
change our production and consumption patterns and to decouple economic growth 
from environmental degradation.  

Action on these issues cannot be confined to the Union alone. Sustainability remains 
a global challenge. This is why it is essential to show European leadership along twin 
internal  and  external  tracks.  This  requires  an  integrated  approach  and  reflects  the 
fact  that  with  globalisation  and  increasing  interdependence  between  issues,  the  EU 
can only deliver fully on its key internal priorities if it succeeds at the same time on 
the  world  scene.  Equally,  the  EU’s  ability  to  reflect  its  global  commitments  in  all  its 
policies is crucial if it is to turn words into deeds, maintaining its credibility as a world 
leader in the field of sustainable development.  

While  this  Commission’s  mandate  continues  until  the  end  of  2009,  it  has  a  clear 
obligation  to  look  beyond  that  date  in  formulating  policy.  If  we  want  to  achieve  our 
future goals, we must not wait until tomorrow; we have to take action now. Realising 
the long term vision calls for concrete objectives to steer long term trends as well as 
mechanisms  to  meet  the  goals  set  out,  starting  now.  This  Commission  has  already 
confirmed  the  relevance  of  its  core  strategic  objectives  of  prosperity,  solidarity  and 
security to sustainable development14.  

The EU first set out its commitment to sustainable development in June 2001. At this 
time  the  Gothenburg  European  Council  adopted  the  EU  Sustainable  Development 

13 
14 

Art. 2 of the Treaty on European Union. 
COM(2005)  12,  26.1.2005 :  “Strategic  objectives  2005-2009  -  Europe  2010:  A  partnership  for 
European Renewal: Prosperity, Solidarity and Security”. 

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Strategy  (SDS)  on  the  basis  of  a  Commission  Communication.  In  2002,  the 
Commission  presented  a  second  Communication15  focussing  on  the  external 
dimension  of  sustainable  development,  which  was  endorsed  by  the  European 
Council in Barcelona. These texts together form the basis of the comprehensive EU 
Sustainable  Development  Strategy.  The  Commission  has  committed  to  review  the 
Strategy at the start of each new Commission’s term in office. This will be done in the 
course of 2005 on the basis of experience over the past four years.  

The  revised  Sustainable  Development  Strategy  will  need  to  adopt  a  broader 
approach  highlighting  the  structural  changes  in  the  economy  needed  to  move 
towards  more  sustainable  production  and  consumption  patterns  and  covering  un-
sustainable  trends.  With  a  further  strengthening  of  the  new  approach  to  policy-
making,  the  revised  Strategy  will  reaffirm  its  three  dimensional  approach  and  also 
ensure  the  full  integration  and  reinforcement  of  the  external  aspects  of  sustainable 
development. It will furthermore confirm the commitment made in the proposal on the 
financial  perspectives  2007-2013  that  sustainable  development  will  be  a  guiding 
principle for EU policies.  

2. 

THE EUROPEAN UNION’S APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT  

The Strategy on Sustainable Development has the following components:  

First,  it  sets  out  a  broad  vision  of  what  is  sustainable.  The  strategy’s  basic 
message  is  that,  ultimately,  the  economic,  social  and  environmental  dimensions  of 
sustainability must go hand–in-hand and mutually reinforce one another: “Sustainable 
development offers the European Union a positive long-term vision of a society that is 
more  prosperous  and  more  just,  and  which  promises  a  cleaner,  safer,  healthier 
environment - a society which delivers a better quality of life for us, for our children, 
and 
the 
interrelationships between these three pillars of sustainable development is crucial.  

for  our  grandchildren”16.  Understanding 

importance  of  and 

the 

The second, and arguably the most ambitious part of the strategy, seeks to improve 
the way in which we make policies, focussing on improving policy coherence and 
making people aware of possible trade offs between contradictory objectives so that 
informed policy-decisions can be taken. This implies careful examination of their full 
effects, including those of non-action notably through early impact assessment, and 
sending the right signals to the market by getting prices right. It also requires that EU 
policy makers take into account the global context and actively promote consistency 
between  internal  and  external  policies.  Furthermore,  it  also  calls  for  investment  in 
science  and  technology  to  support  the  adjustments  needed  for  sustainable 
development.  Finally,  the  new  approach  to  policy-making  insists  on  improving 
communication and mobilizing citizens and business. 

Third,  it  addresses  a  limited  number  of  trends  that  are  clearly  not  sustainable, 
such  as  the  issues  of  climate  change  and  energy  use,  threats  to  public  health, 

15 
16 

COM(2002) 82, 13.2.2002: "Towards a global partnership for sustainable development". 
COM(2001)  264:  "A  Sustainable  Europe  for  a  Better  World:  A  European  Union  Strategy  for 
Sustainable Development", p. 2. 

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poverty  and  social  exclusion,  ageing  societies,  management  of  natural  resources, 
and land use and transport. 

Finally, the global dimension expands on some of the international goals and focuses 
on  the  priority  objectives  identified  in  the  EU  contribution  to  the  World  Summit  on 
Sustainable  Development  (WSSD).  These  are  harnessing  globalisation,  trade  for 
sustainable  development, 
fighting  poverty,  social  development,  sustainable 
management  of  natural  and  environmental  resources,  improving  the  coherence  of 
European  Union  policies,  better  governance  at  all  levels  and  financing  sustainable 
development.  

3. 

WHY A REVIEW? 

The Commission is already committed to review the strategy at the beginning of each 
new  Commission’s  mandate.  This  has  been  welcomed  by  the  European  Council, 
most  recently  in  June  and  November  2004.  In  addition,  a  number  of  developments 
further underline the need for a review at this point in time: 

•  the  worsening  of  unsustainable  trends,  notably,  the  growing  pressure  on  natural 
resources,  biodiversity  and  the  climate  as  well  as  the  persistent  inequality  and 
poverty  and  the  increasing  economic  and  social  challenges  posed  by  an  ageing 
population; 

•  Europe’s  economic  underperformance  coupled  with  new  competitive  pressures 
triggered  by  continued  globalisation  and  the  emergence  of  newly  industrialised 
countries  (such  as  China,  India  and  Brazil),  signalling  increased  economic 
competition  and  possible  shifts  in  national  production  structures,  which  have 
implications for sustainable development at a global level; 

•  new  international  commitments  and  negotiations  which  all  have  the  potential  to 
contribute  to  global  sustainable  development  need  to  be  matched  by  increased 
implementation  efforts  (such  as  the  WTO  Doha  Development  agenda,  the 
Johannesburg  plan  of  implementation  decided  at  the  WSSD,  the  Monterrey 
commitments  on  financing  for  development  and  the  Millennium  Development 
Goals ); 

•  new  security  threats,  such  as  terrorism (11 September  2001  and  11  March  2004 
attacks),  natural  crises  (flooding)  and  health  scares  (e.g.  SARS)  have  led  to  a 
heightened sense of vulnerability. Moreover, there is a growing awareness of the 
need to take action against organised crime, corruption and racism; 

•  finally, the review should take account of the enlargement of the European Union 
to 25 Member States, the definition of national sustainable development strategies 
in  most  of  the  Member  States  and  the  greater  involvement  of  local  and  regional 
authorities. 

4. 

TAKING STOCK OF PROGRESS 

While  some  progress  has  been  made  in  implementing  the  Strategy  and  immediate 
results cannot be expected, it is clear that much remains to be done. There are few 
signs that most of the threats to sustainable development have been reversed. They 

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require  urgent  and  continued  attention.  While  a  more  detailed  account  of  progress 
can  be  found  in  the  Commission  staff  working  document17,  a  number  of  important 
developments can be highlighted.  

- 
Changing  the  way  we  make  policies.  Since  2001  a  “new  way  of 
policymaking” has been introduced to make policies more coherent and to create the 
right conditions to promote sustainable development.  

Improving policy coherence  

The integration of a number of horizontal principles of the Treaties in all EU policies is 
a  central  objective.  An  example  of  EU  action  to  this  end  is  the  “Cardiff  process”, 
which  promotes  integration  of  environmental  concerns  into  sectoral  policies. 
However, a first stocktaking in 2004 of the Cardiff process showed that progress has 
been limited so far.  

A new Impact Assessment mechanism was introduced in the Commission in 2003 as 
one  instrument  to  help  improve  policy  coherence.  It  is  designed  to  assess  the 
economic,  environmental  and  social  impacts  of  major  policy  proposals  in  an 
integrated  manner  and  to  make  the  trade-offs  between  competing  goals  more 
explicit.  To  date,  the  Commission  has  produced  over  50  Impact  Assessments  on  a 
wide  range  of  policies  from  proposals  for  the  Re-Insurance  Directive  to  policy 
orientations  on  the  Common  Market  Organisation  of  Sugar,  and  the  financing  of 
Natura  2000.  On  the  external  side,  sustainability  impact  studies  have  been  initiated 
on all major trade negotiations.  

Developing the open method of coordination  

The open method of coordination can be a powerful instrument to promote exchange 
of  good  practice,  involve  and  mobilize  stakeholders  and  put  pressure  on  Member 
States to adopt a more strategic and integrated approach and deliver more efficient 
policies. Common objectives and common indicators have, for example, been agreed 
by  the  Commission  and  the  Member  States  in  the  areas  of  social  inclusion  and 
pensions.  Most  Member  States  have  set  quantitative  targets  for  the  reduction  of 
poverty and social exclusion.  

Getting prices and incentives right 

Making sure that market prices reflect the true costs of economic activities to society 
will  encourage  changes  in  production  and  consumption  patterns.  To  achieve  this, 
market-based  instruments  like  environmentally-related  taxes,  emission  trading 
schemes  and  subsidies  can  be  an  effective  complement  to  traditional  regulatory 
measures.  In  this  area,  progress  has  been  made  in  recent  years  at  EU  level,  but 
decision making is still sometimes difficult, in particular in relation to taxation because 
of  the  unanimity  requirement  in  the  Council.  Examples  where  the  EU  has  applied 
market-based instruments include the 2003 Energy Tax Directive, which extends the 
Community system of minimum tax rates from mineral oils to other energy products, 
and the EU-wide allowance trading scheme for greenhouse gas emissions, which is 
in place since 2005 to help achieve the Kyoto reduction targets.  

17 

SEC(2005) 225. 

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Investing in science and technology  

Advances  in  knowledge  and  technological  progress  are  key  to  achieving  a  balance 
between  economic  growth  and  social  and  environmental  sustainability.  There  are 
many  synergies  to  exploit  between  innovation  for  quality  and  performance  and 
innovation to optimise energy use, waste and safety. More energy-efficient machines, 
for  example,  consume  fewer  natural  resources  and  lead  to  lower  emissions. 
Investments in new technology will also create jobs and growth. EU action in this field 
includes the sustainable development activities of the 6th Framework Programme for 
Research  and  Technology  Development.  The  Environmental  Technologies  Action 
Plan  promotes  technology  platforms  on  hydrogen  and  fuel  cells,  photovoltaics, 
sustainable  chemistry,  water  supply  and  sanitation.  The  EU  is  also  stimulating  the 
take  up  of  technologies  having  an  impact  on  our  social  systems,  for  example, 
healthcare systems18. 

Communicating and mobilising citizens and business 

Civil society and the private sector play important roles in sustainable development. 
Several  initiatives  have  been  taken  at  EU  level  to  encourage  active  involvement  of 
these  groups,  and  to  improve  the  consultation  processes  and  the  mobilisation  of 
stakeholders. Among other things the Commission has adopted minimum standards 
for  stakeholder  consultation  and  improved  information  on  and  participation  in 
environmental  decision  making.  It  has  also  taken  various  initiatives  to  promote 
Corporate Social Responsibility.   

- 

Unsustainable trends 

Climate change and clean energy 

In the last 100 years Europe’s temperature has risen faster than the global average 
(0.95°C in Europe compared with 0.7°C globally); 8 out of 9 glaciers are retreating to 
a  significant  extent;  extreme  weather  events  -  such  as  droughts,  heat  waves  and 
floods  -  have  increased19.  Keeping  the  global  temperature  rise  below  the  level  at 
which more dangerous climate change becomes probable requires deep global cuts 
in  greenhouse  gas  emissions.  Certain  estimates  of  damage  caused  by  extreme 
events in 2002 indicate a loss of €25 billion20. A reliable and affordable energy supply 
is far from commonplace in the developing world, where over 2 billion people rely on 
biomass  (wood,  waste,  etc.)  as  their  primary  energy  source  and  1.6  billion  lack 
access to electricity. 

The European Climate Change  Programme (ECCP) has served as a key vehicle to 
take action against climate change in Europe. It covers crucial energy initiatives and 
the  recently  launched  EU-wide  allowance  trading  scheme  for  greenhouse  gas 
emissions, which started operating on 1 January 2005. The  EU is also promoting a 
number  of  measures  contributing  to  tackle  climate  change  through  its  Regional 
Funds.  However,  while  the  latest  available  data  show  that  by  2002  the  EU-15  had 

18 

19 
20 

See  for  example  the  recently  adopted  e-health  action  plan:  making  healthcare  better  for  European 
citizens – an action plan for a European e-health area, COM(2004) 356. 
EEA report “Impacts of Europe’s changing climate”, August 2004. 
Munich Re, Geo risk research department, January 2004. 

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reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2.9% from 1990 levels, much more needs to 
be  done  in  order  to  reach  the  Kyoto  Protocol  target  of  a  8%  reduction  from  1990 
levels during the period 2008-2012. Internationally, the EU has also continued to play 
a  leading  role  in  promoting  the  ratification  of  Kyoto  and  in  implementing  the 
commitments  made  at  the  2002  Johannesburg  World  Summit  on  Sustainable 
Development  (WSSD).  The  EU  has  in  this  regard  advocated  the  use  of  renewable 
energies worldwide, through the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition. The EU 
Energy  Initiative  is  a  contribution  to  the  WSSD,  aiming  to  improve  access  to 
adequate, sustainable and affordable energy services in rural, peri-urban and urban 
areas.  

In Europe, renewed commitment is given to make real progress on energy efficiency 
through a new Energy Efficiency Initiative.  

Public health 

The  threats  to  public  health  in  the  EU  have  continued  to  increase  since  2001.  Life-
style-related  and  chronic  diseases  increase  rapidly  worldwide  with  obesity  showing 
the most alarming developments (10-40% increase during the last 10 years in most 
EU  countries).  The  HIV/AIDS  epidemic  has  globally  reached  its  highest  level  of 
infections ever (39.4 million) and the proportion of newly reported HIV infections has 
more  than  doubled  in  Europe  since  1996.  Greater  contact  and  mobility  around  the 
globe has increased the impact of health threats through infectious diseases such as 
avian  flu  and  SARS.  Bioterrorism  is  another  new  element.  In  developing  countries, 
recent  health  and  development  gains  have  been  reversed  and  the  spread  of  major 
communicable  diseases  is  a  serious  threat  to  their  future  development.  The  World 
Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that unhealthy environments every year cause 
the death of over 5 million children worldwide.  

Examples  of  policy  measures  taken  since  2001  include  the  funding  of  genome 
research  to  fight  antibiotic  resistance;  the  establishment  of  a  joint  EU  surveillance 
and  early  warning  networks  for  communicable  diseases;  the  adoption  of  a  proposal 
for  a  new  EU  regulatory  framework  for  chemicals  (REACH);  the  adoption  of  the 
European  Environment  and  Health  Action  Plan  2004-2010;  and  the  setting  up  of  a 
European  Food  Safety  Authority  (EFSA)  and  European  Centre  on  Communicable 
Diseases (ECDC). 

Internationally, EU financing to tackle diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and 
malaria  has  increased  substantially.  Contributions  have  also  been  made  to  reduce 
the price of essential pharmaceutical products in developing countries.  

Poverty and social exclusion 

Poverty and social exclusion represent a growing problem. In the EU, around 15% of 
the  population  lives  at  risk  of  income  poverty.  The  situation  in  some  of  the  new 
Member States is of particular concern. Other worrying trends are the transmission of 
poverty and exclusion across generations and the disproportionate burden borne by 
certain  population  sub-groups  (e.g.  unemployed,  single  parents,  disabled  people, 
ethnic  minorities).  Worldwide,  2.8  billion  of  the  world’s  6  billion  people  live  on  less 
than € 2 per day.  

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EU  Member  States  have  agreed  to  co-ordinate  their  policies  for  combating  poverty 
and  social  exclusion  by  setting  common  objectives,  designing  national  action  plans 
and  evaluating  these  using  common  indicators  to  monitor  progress.  The  European 
Commission  is  supporting  this  co-ordination  process.  European  Regional  Policy 
funding also contributes to this goal, for example, through investments in education, 
training and local employment.  

To tackle the issue worldwide, the EU’s development policy sets as its main objective 
to significantly reduce and, eventually, to eradicate poverty. A variety of actions have 
been taken within the framework of the new global partnership for poverty eradication 
and sustainable development established at the Doha, Monterrey and Johannesburg 
summits.  

An ageing society 

Population  growth  in  the  EU  is  projected  to  come  to  an  end  and  a  decreasing  and 
ageing working population will have to support an increasing number of old people. 
The  old-age  dependency  ratio  is  forecast  to  increase  from  24%  in  2004  to  47%  in 
2050.  

Whereas increasing life expectancy is a major achievement, Europe's ageing society 
raises sustainability issues which need to be addressed. Neither migration nor a rapid 
increase  in  birth  rates  can  avert  a  sharp  rise  in  the  share  of  older  people  in  the 
population over the next two decades.  

The  Commission  is  working  with  Member  States  to  modernize  social  protection 
systems  to  ensure  that  they  remain  financially  sustainable  and  socially  adequate. 
Measures  also  include  prolonging  the  working  lives  of  older  workers.  The  target, 
established by the European Council in Barcelona, is for 50% of 55-64 year olds to 
be  in  work  by  2010  and  for  the  effective  labour  market  exit  age  to  be  raised  by  5 
years by 2010. Apart from tackling the financial side, healthcare systems also need to 
evolve to cope with expected demand from the increased number of elderly people, 
in  particular  in  order  to  improve  access  to  healthcare.  The  Union  is  facilitating 
structured co-operation in this field and the exchange of good practice.  

Management of natural resources 

Rapid global population growth means that by 2010 there will already be 400 million 
more  people  on  Earth  compared  to  now,  essentially  located  in  urban  areas.  In  a 
world of growing ‘interdependence’ we cannot continue to produce and consume as 
we  are  doing  today.  Bio-diversity  is  under  threat.  Worldwide,  there  are  15  500 
species  of  plants  and  animals  which  face  a  high  risk  of  extinction.  Recent  decades 
have  already  seen  very  significant  losses  in  virtually  all  types  of  eco-systems  and 
species (animals, plants, forests, fresh water, fertile land, etc). Fresh water is another 
precious  natural  resource  under  pressure.  Overall,  the  global  water  crisis  threatens 
lives, sustainable development and ultimately peace and security. 

Policy  actions  taken  to  achieve  the  EU’s  target  of  halting  the  loss  of  biodiversity  by 
2010  include  the  reform  of  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy  and  the  Common 
Fisheries Policy, and the creation of the Natura 2000 network. A Communication on 
halting  the  loss  of  biodiversity  by  2010  is  in  preparation.  Measures  to  enhance 
resource  efficiency  include  the  EU  Directive  on  waste  electrical  and  electronic 

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equipment  and  Commission  Communications  on  integrated  product  policy.  In  the 
period from 2000-2006, the European Union is also deploying large amount of money 
from  the  Structural  and  Cohesion  Funds  to  co-finance  investments  in  favour  of 
environmental  infrastructures  and  the  rehabilitation  and  maintenance  of  industrial, 
urban and natural sites.  

International initiatives include the EU Water Initiative – “Water for Life” - as a follow 
up  to  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development.  The  EU  is  also  taking  a 
leading role both in the Convention on Biodiversity and in the work to establish a ten-
year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production.  

Land use and transport 

Despite  the  aim  to  decouple  transport  from  GDP  growth,  the  volume  of  transport 
continues  to  rise  faster  than  GDP.  This  has  impacts  in  a  variety  of  areas,  ranging 
from  traffic  congestion  and  health  problems  caused  by  air  pollutants,  to  increased 
CO2 emissions affecting the EU’s targets on climate change. 

The EU has initiated a number of policy initiatives to limit the negative effects of this 
trend in the growth in transport. It is encouraging a shift from road transport to modes 
with  lower  environmental  impacts,  such  as  clean  buses,  shipping  and  rail.  The 
Commission has also proposed that Member States introduce infrastructure charging 
to  influence  transport  demand,  by  moving  towards  a  situation  where  prices  paid  by 
transport  users  reflect  the  full  costs  to  society  (e.g.  the  Euro  vignette  directive),  but 
implementation  remains  limited.  Moreover,  significant  progress  albeit  offset  by 
increase  in  demand  and  volume  of  transport,  has  been  made  in  vehicle  and  fuel 
technology, driven by EU legislation and initiatives. Finally, actions are being pursued 
to  improve  the  urban  environment  and  land-use  management,  for  example  through 
the  EU  Structural  Funds  programme  “Urban  II”  and  the  Research  Framework 
Programme.  The  Commission  is  also  preparing  a  Thematic  Strategy  on  the  Urban 
Environment which is due to be published in 2005. 

External aspects of sustainable development 

In  addition  to  the  unsustainable  trends  listed  above,  promoting  sustainable 
development at the global level has, inter alia, included the following EU actions: 

– 

Harnessing Globalisation  

Globalisation  is  the  new  context  in  which  sustainable  development  has  to  be 
achieved.  While  it  can  be  an  important  stimulus  to  sustainable  development,  the 
gains from globalisation are too often unevenly spread between and within countries 
and  unregulated  integration  can  have  negative  impacts  on  the  environment  and 
society as a whole.  

The  EU  supports  a  coherent  and  integrated  approach  to  questions  relating  to 
globalisation in WTO, International Financial Institutions (IFIs) and across UN bodies. 
It  also  wants  to  strengthen  key  bodies  –  such  as,  for  example,  the  International 
Labour Organisation.  

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To effectively and equitably integrate the developing world into the global economy, 
the ongoing WTO-negotiations, the Doha Development Agenda (DDA), are essential. 
In the DDA-negotiations, the EU has since 2002 consistently been working to pursue 
its objectives in terms of the promotion of global sustainable development across the 
board  on  a  large  number  of  negotiating  issues.  Furthermore,  since  developing 
countries’  efforts  to  integrate  into  the  global  trading  system  need  to  be  effectively 
supported, trade related assistance (TRA) has been designated as one of the priority 
areas  for  the  EU's  development  co-operation  and  the  TRA  dimension  has  been 
integrated in all the relevant levels of decision making on how to allocate funds. 

In  addition,  since  the  WSSD,  the  EU  has  also  taken  important  steps  to  implement 
supportive  action  related  to  trade  policy  outside  the  scope  of  the  DDA,  inter  alia, 
through  pursuing  its  efforts  to  include  a  substantive  element  on  sustainable 
development in all ongoing or future bilateral or regional negotiations.  

– 

Better Governance at Global level 

Good governance and the promotion of democracy are critical factors in reaching the 
Millennium  Development  Goals.  The  Millennium  Declaration  states  that  creating  an 
environment  that  is  conducive  to  development  and  to  the  elimination  of  poverty 
depends, inter alia, on good governance within each country, on good governance at 
the  international  level  and  on  transparency  in  the  financial,  monetary  and  trading 
systems.  

The Commission has addressed institutional capacity building, good governance and 
the  rule  of  law  in  a  Communication  on  Governance  and  Development,  focusing  on 
institutional  capacity  building  and  dialogue  on  governance  in  different  types  of 
country situations. Efforts have also been made to promote sustainable development 
in  all  existing  international  and  regional  cooperation  agreements  and  policy 
instruments.  In  addition,  strengthened  international  governance  for  sustainable 
to  develop  effective 
development  has  been  at 
multilateralism. 

the  heart  of  EU’s  efforts 

- 

Financing for development (FfD) 

To reach the Millennium Development Goals, financing is needed. However, the UN 
target  of  0.7%  Official  Development  Assistance  (ODA)  of  Gross  National  Income 
(GNI) is still far from being fulfilled. 

The  EU  defined  its  contribution  to  the  “Financing  for  development  process”  in  eight 
explicit commitments, endorsed by the European Council in Barcelona on 14 March 
2002.  The  latest  monitoring  report  forecasts  that  aid  levels  in  the  enlarged  EU  (25 
Member States), as a whole, will exceed its intermediate target of 0.39% ODA/Gross 
National  Income  (GNI)  and  provide  0.42  %  of  its  GNI  in  ODA  by  2006,  or  an 
estimated  €  38.5  billion.  The  total  volume  of  additional  resources  mobilised  during 
2002–2006 is € 19 billion.  

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Part II: Responding to the challenges 

5. 

FUTURE ORIENTATIONS  

In  the  light  of  the  continuing  challenges,  Europe  must  not  only  stand  by  its 
commitment to a long-term agenda for sustainable development and a better quality 
of life, but also to find ways to tackle these more effectively. 

5.1. 

Reaffirm  the  basic  principles  of  the  European  Union  Sustainable 
Development Strategy 

The  concept  of  sustainable  development  and  the  complementarity  between  the 
Sustainable Development Strategy and the Lisbon Strategy have been clarified in the 
foreword. 

Beyond that, the review will confirm the quintessential three-dimensional nature of 
sustainable development as the cornerstone of the strategy, i.e. a development that 
can  only  be  achieved  if  economic  growth,  social  inclusion  and  environmental 
protection go hand in hand, both in Europe and in other parts of the world. 

The review will also take into account the EU's contribution to global sustainable 
development  in  two  ways:  first,  by  addressing  the  international  aspects  of  the  six 
unsustainable  trends  addressed  by  the  strategy;  second,  by  integrating  into  it  the 
external  EU  policies  that  contribute  to  global  sustainable  development.  In  doing  so, 
the EU will reconfirm and strengthen its commitment to take a leading role in driving 
the sustainable development agenda at global level.  

5.2. 

Reaffirm the new approach to policy making and policy coherence  

The  review  will  re-enforce  the  ‘new  approach  to  policy  making’  as  the  central 
means  of  placing  sustainable  development  at  the  core  of  EU  policy-making.  In 
particular, the future EU Sustainable Development Strategy will  give a further boost 
to  the  different  components  of  the  EU’s  Better  Regulation  agenda,  including  impact 
assessment, stakeholder consultation and regulatory simplification. 

This  means  that  sustainable  and  cost-effective  policy  making  will  continue  to  be 
promoted  through  Better  Regulation,  including  a  more  effective  implementation  of  a 
balanced Impact Assessment mechanism covering both new internal and external 
Commission  policy  initiatives.  In  addition,  sustainability  impact  assessment  studies 
will  continue  to  be  applied  to  major  trade  agreements.  While  the  tool  has  recently 
been  refined  to  take  account  of  first  lessons  learned21,  continued  attention  will  be 
given to possible ways to further improve the method, particularly with regard to the 
economic,  social  and  environmental  aspects  of  sustainable  development.  In  this 
respect the Commission also intends to improve consultation of stakeholders on EU 
policies.  Furthermore,  attention  will  also  be  paid  to  the  importance  of  ensuring 

21 

Ref.  Impact  Assessment:  Next  Steps  –  in  support  of  Competitiveness  and  Sustainable  Development, 
SEC(2004) 1377, 21.10.2004. 

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adequate follow-up to the Inter-Institutional Agreement with the European Parliament 
and the Council22 (e.g. to the need for European Parliament and the Council to apply 
the  same  principles  and  standards  regarding  impact  assessment  when  it  comes  to 
impact assessment of substantial amendments to Commission proposals). 

Also included under the new approach is the open method of coordination, notably 
in  the  fields  of  social  inclusion,  access  to  the  labour  market  and  social  protection 
where this method plays a key role in modernizing social protection systems.  

As  part  of  the  new  approach  to  policy  making,  the  Commission  will  continue  to 
promote the use of market-based instruments to reflect the true costs of resource 
use  and  its  environmental  impact  to  society.  For  example,  Member  States  will  be 
invited  to  look  at  how  they  could  shift  the  burden  of  taxation  onto  the  causes  of 
environmental damage and away from labour. The review will also further emphasize 
the 
for  sustainable 
development.  Possible  means  to  further  promote  eco-innovations  include  the  EU’s 
research  programme,  the  Commission’s  Innovation  Policy,  as  well  as  public 
procurement. Exchanging information with external partners on sustainable research, 
science and technology will also be promoted.  

in  science  and  technology 

importance  of 

investments 

5.3.  Maintaining  a  focus  on  key  unsustainable  trends  and  exploring  the 

linkages between unsustainable trends in greater detail 

The review will maintain the Strategy’s focus on main trends that pose a threat to 
sustainable  development.  Many  of  these  trends  can  only  be  tackled  through 
continued action over a long period of time and will involve major structural changes 
in  the  functioning  of  our  societies  and  economies.  However,  this  should  not  be  an 
excuse for inaction in the short run.  

The  review  will  therefore  include  a  thorough  assessment  of  the  unsustainable 
trends  covered  in  the  current  strategy  with  a  view  to  identifying  objectives  and 
necessary actions for the years to come. The priority areas identified in 2001 should 
also be brought into line with the international commitments made by the EU at the 
World  Summit  on  Sustainable  Development,  the  UN  conference  for  Financing  for 
Development as well as the UN Millennium Declaration and other related multilateral 
agreements and commitments undertaken by the EU. Moreover, they will be updated 
to reflect the accession of ten new Member States to the EU – and the prospect of 
further enlargement in the not too distant future – which poses new challenges for the 
Union’s capacity to address the unsustainable trends. In this context, the review will 
also  examine  the  case  for  adding  a  limited  number  of  new  or  not  previously 
considered trends, including economically unsustainable trends. 

Finally,  the  review  will  pay  greater  attention  to  identifying  inter-relationships 
between  the  selected  unsustainable  trends.  It  will  seek  to  maximize  positive 
synergies and reduce trade-offs. For example, by promoting a shift in transport from 
road to rail it is possible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reduce congestion 
at one and the same time (creating a ‘win-win’ situation). Another example would be 
in  better 
how 

technological  change  could  result 

fundamental 

investment 

in 

22 

Interinstitutional agreement on better lawmaking, OJ C 321, 31.12.2003, p. 1. 

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competitiveness  and  at  the  same  time  improve  environmental  quality  and  social 
cohesion.  

5.4. 

Setting objectives, targets and milestones  

The  approach  taken  in  the  2001  strategy  was  to  define  medium-term  headline 
objectives  relating  to  each  of  the  unsustainable  trends  and  to  identify  a  number  of 
measures  intended  to  address  these.  The  review  will  confirm  the  need  for  clearer 
objectives, targets and related deadlines as a way of giving focus to action in priority 
areas and enabling progress to be measured. 

Although the trends represent long-term problems that will need long-term solutions, 
the  only  way  to  ascertain  that  society  is  moving  in  the  right  direction  is  by  setting 
clear  intermediate  targets  and  measuring  progress.  Setting  long-term  objectives, 
therefore, must not come to mean postponing action. 

The  revised  strategy  will  therefore  present  new  headline  objectives  for  each  of  the 
unsustainable trends and set the intermediate milestones which will allow the EU to 
monitor actual progress. The operational objectives and action plans will be identified 
within the relevant internal and external sectoral policies which will also be the main 
vehicles  for  implementation  and  monitoring  of  the  policy  initiatives,  including 
international  commitments  agreed  under  the  Millennium  Declaration  and  the 
Barcelona and Monterrey summits. 

5.5. 

Ensuring effective monitoring 

The decision in Gothenburg to ensure yearly monitoring of the strategy at the Spring 
European Councils has fallen short of expectations. A reinforced reporting system will 
be developed in the review. It will focus on the short and medium-term delivery of the 
strategy’s objectives, combining and simplifying as far as possible current reports on 
sustainable  development  issues.  The  institutional  responsibilities  (particularly  the 
roles  of  the  European  Council  and  the  European  Parliament)  in  the  monitoring 
process will also be made clearer.  

Monitoring  will  take  place  in  particular  on  the  basis  of  sustainable  development 
indicators  developed  by  the  Commission.  These  will  draw  on,  among  other  things, 
the  various  indicators  developed  within  the  sectoral  policy  processes  and  the 
synthesis  already  made  from  these  in  the  set  of  structural  indicators  which  have 
monitored  progress  towards  the  targets  set  as  part  of  the  Lisbon  reform  agenda. 
More  effort  will  also  be  put  into  developing  future  models,  forecasts  and  further 
gathering of scientific data to help effective monitoring.  

5.6. 

Strengthen ownership and improve co-operation with public and private 
actors at all levels  

Further action is needed to raise awareness, mobilise and involve stakeholders at all 
levels. It must be clear who is responsible for what action at what point in time and 
who  will  bear  the  costs.  To  this  end,  the  Commission  will  explore  how  to  create 
effective  partnerships  with  industry,  trade  unions,  non-governmental  organisations 
and consumer interests, particularly with a view to discussing ways of helping to curb 
the unsustainable trends identified in the context of the review. 

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More  consistency  will  be  sought  between  EU,  global,  national,  regional  and  local 
initiatives  to  promote  sustainable  development.  Possible  actions  will  include 
identifying  common  priorities  under  each  of  the  headline  objectives;  starting  a 
process  of  mutual  learning  with  Member  States  and/or  regions;  and  setting  up 
mechanisms for the permanent exchange of information on best practice.  

The Union will also need to step up its efforts to stimulate further action in other parts 
of  the  world,  both  in  industrialised  countries  and  countries  in  transition,  and  in  the 
developing world. The Commission will strive to develop the dialogue on sustainable 
development  objectives  with  partners  outside  the  EU,  notably  administrations  and 
civil  society  in  third  countries  as  well  as  international  organisations  and  NGOs 
focused on global issues.  

6. 

NEXT STEPS 

invites 

the  European  Council, 

the  European 
The  Commission 
Parliament,  Member  States,  regional  authorities  and  all  parts  of  civil  society  to 
comment  on  the  proposed  orientations  for  the  strategy.  An  initial  opportunity  for 
discussion  will  be  the  holding  of  the  stakeholder  forum  organised  by  the  European 
Economic and Social Committee on 14 and 15 April 2005. The Commission will then 
present a proposal for a revised sustainable development strategy for the Union later 
this year.  

the  Council, 

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