Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on The role of the National Councils for Sustainable Development
Date: 2007-12-12
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: competence of the institution, decision-making, dissemination of information, financing, sustainable development

16.5.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 120/29

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘The role of the National Councils for
Sustainable Development’

(2008/C 120/07)

On 25-26 April 2007, the European Economic and Social Committee, acting under Article 29(2) of its
Rules of Procedure, decided to draw up an opinion on

The Role of the National Councils for Sustainable Development.

The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment (Sustainable Development Observa-
tory), which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on
27 November 2007. The rapporteur was Mr Haken.

At its 440th plenary session, held on 12 and 13 December 2007 (meeting of 12 December), the European
Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 115 votes in favour with 3 abstentions.

1. Conclusions

National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs)
1.1
can be a strong and powerful force for sustainable development
since they can provide independent advice and foster dialogue
with civil society and stakeholders on sustainable development.

1.2
An overview of NCSDs throughout the EU gives a very
diverse picture. While some Member States have no or only
inactive councils, those that are active differ considerably in
their remit, composition, independence, resources and also as to
the impact of their work.

Following the positive experiences in Member States with
1.3
‘strong’ NCSDs,
to
strengthen their councils or to create operative and effective
councils where they do not yet exist.

the EESC calls on all Member States

1.4

The EESC recommends that NCSDs should:

— include representatives from all the main sectors of society

concerned;

— have a sufficient degree of independence from government;

— play an important part in the shaping of sustainable devel-
opment strategies and in monitoring their implementation;

— be sufficiently funded so that they are able to provide real
added value to the debates and the decision-making process;

— pool experience, exchange best practice and maintain open
dialogue among the councils, particularly through the
strengthening of the European Environment and Sustainable
Development Advisory Council (EEAC) network.

2. Background

2.1
Sustainable development means satisfying the needs of
the present generation without jeopardising the ability of future
generations to satisfy theirs. This is one of the overall aims of

the EU, governing all its policies and actions. It is founded on
the principles of democracy, gender equality, solidarity, the rule
of law and respect for fundamental rights, including freedom
and equal opportunities for all.

In 1992, following the United Nations' Rio Conference,
2.2
sustainable development became a globally recognised policy
area. The idea of consultative bodies such as NCSDs also stems
from the Rio Conference. Agenda 21, also a result of Rio, states
that ‘a national strategy for sustainable development should be devel-
oped through the widest possible participation’; and in 2002, the
Johannesburg recommendations also called for the setting up of
sustainable development councils.

2.3
In the EU, the first sustainable development strategy was
adopted in Gothenburg in 2001. In order to create a more
comprehensive and effective strategy, the Commission started a
revision process in 2004, and in June 2006 the Council adopted
the renewed strategy for
for an
enlarged Europe (1).This renewed strategy aims to implement
to achieving the goal of
Europe's
sustainable development.

sustainable development

long-term commitment

the EU,

Following the recommendations of the UN Conclusions,
2.4
and subsequently of
institutions known as NCSDs
started to be set up in the 1990s in a number of countries, their
main aim being to ensure that Agenda 21 was effectively imple-
mented and sustainable development principles put into prac-
tice. Some governments established inter-ministerial coordina-
tion bodies (e.g.
the Hungarian Commission on Sustainable
Development, 1993), some chose mixed bodies like the Finnish
National Commission on Sustainable Development (1993) and
others created councils with a civil society composition, such as
the Belgian National Council (1993) and the UK Round Table
on Sustainable Development (1994). Other countries followed
thereafter; some of
the earlier bodies were restructured and
others were eventually discontinued.

(1) EU sustainable development strategy, Council Conclusions, 26 June

2006.

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to stimulate informed debate, assist

2.5
The renewed EU strategy states that: ‘Member States should
consider strengthening, or where they do not yet exist, setting up
multi-stakeholder national advisory councils on sustainable develop-
in the preparation of
ment
National Sustainable Development Strategies and/or contribute to
national and EU progress reviews. National sustainable development
to increase the involvement of civil society in
councils are meant
sustainable development matters and contribute to better
linking
different policies and policy levels, also by using their network of
European Environmental and Sustainable Development Advisory
Councils (EEAC)’.

2.6
NCSDs have now been officially established in a number
of Member States: Given their different histories Member States'
NCSDs take a variety of forms across the EU. There is some
form of council for sustainable development or environmental
policy in 24 Member States; eight of these have specific councils
for sustainable development, and another six have environ-
mental councils made up of stakeholders or experts that are
also active in the area of sustainable development. Other coun-
tries have governmental coordination bodies called councils,
some with civil society involvement. Some of these bodies are
inactive. In several countries where regions have considerable
powers, regional councils have been set up in addition to the
national councils. The rapid growth in NCSDs shows that they
have potential and could provide added value to the policy-
making processes and the debate across wider society.

This opinion aims to examine the role of the NCSDs,
2.7
their
resources, working methods, and
remit, composition,
above all their involvement of civil society. To a certain extent,
the opinion also aims to look at the effectiveness of the NCSDs,
bearing in mind that such an assessment is always prone to
in particular, on the
subjectivity. This assessment
research conducted by the EEAC network (2), the results of a
questionnaire sent out by the EESC to several national focal
points and NCSDs, and a number of civil society organisations.
interviews with NCSDs and civil
In addition, a number of
society representatives have been carried out.

is based,

3. An overview of National Councils

for Sustainable

Development

The following overview of the NCSDs shows a highly

3.1
diverse picture:

— monitoring progress in implementing SD strategies or in
achieving specific targets, and drawing attention to short-
falls;

— encouraging dialogue and consultation with civil society (by
having civil society representatives as council members in
the work of the councils, by fostering dialogue among them
and with the government);

— communication on sustainable development

(by holding
public events and by publishing SD information online, in
the media, etc.).

3.2.1
These four tasks are not being fulfilled by councils in
all Member States. In some of them, the remit is much more
restricted, and in others, despite having been assigned these
tasks,
they are not or only partially fulfilled. This is also
reflected in the fact that some councils meet very rarely (2 or
3 times per year). Others meet more often and have additional
teams
working groups (working groups set up in project
working on an actual project, rather than static groups focussed
on one topic, seem to be particularly efficient). In some Member
States, councils may be given an early input into the national
SD strategy while in others their input is sought at a very late
stage, if at all. The number of reports produced varies from zero
to over 10 reports per year. The well-established councils
interact regularly with stakeholders, and organise public events
or expert meetings on a regular basis.

Size and composition of the Councils

3.3
The NCSDs vary in size and composition; the number of
members varies from 15, as in Germany, to 78, 81 and 90, as
in Belgium, Finland and France, respectively. Most councils
comprise civil society representatives (business, trade unions,
NGOs and research institutes). Others also include representa-
tives from various government departments. In certain cases,
the government coordination body is called a ‘Council’ and
could include a small number of stakeholders. Regional and
local governments are often represented too. A number of civil
society representatives have voiced discontent about the insuffi-
cient involvement of civil society in their national Council and
in SD processes in general.

The councils' remit

Degree of independence

3.2

Four main tasks of NCSDs can be identified:

— advising government bodies (by assisting in the development
of sustainable development (SD) strategies and by issuing
reports on specific policies);

(2) See the list of sources at the end of the text.

As councils are established and funded by governments
3.4
there is ‘dependence’ in this respect. In order to gain the respect
of both government bodies and civil society organisations, the
councils must achieve the right degree of independence, and
striking this balance is a difficult task. The selection process
varies, but in general, the government appoints the council
members, typically on the basis of nominations by the civil
society organisations represented in the council. Another issue
concerns the staff working for the council; in several countries,

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the staff comes from government bodies. This may restrict the
degree of independence of the council. Moreover, some councils
are chaired by a member of the government.

to be more a kind of ‘window-dressing’ than striving for real
input from civil society. However, there are a number of coun-
tries with well-established councils that live up to their role and
have a real impact.

Resources

The councils are very unevenly resourced,

3.5
in terms of
both human resources and the budget available. In some coun-
tries, where the secretariat is based in a ministry, there is only
is often not working full
one administrator who, moreover,
time for the council. The total number of staff ranges from less
than 1 to around 20. The biggest council
is the UK Council
with 58 employees. Not all councils have their own budget.
Budgets range from less than EUR 0,1 million to around
EUR 1 million, with the exception of the UK council whose
budget is EUR 5,5 million.

Impact

Evaluating the impact of the councils' work is not easy,
3.6
but a few conclusions can be drawn from the information
received. For example, it would seem that in several countries
where the council has a strong mandate, a large number of the
recommendations made by the councils were incorporated in
government policies, especially as regards the national SD
strategy. Some councils clearly have good access to government
ministers and departments and are regularly consulted on policy
formation. Others are kept at a distance. It can also be stated
that some councils have managed to reach out
to a large
number of stakeholders and the broader public by attracting a
lot of participants to their events, thus ensuring a strong invol-
vement of civil society in SD processes.

Evaluation

3.7
NCSDs can be a strong and powerful force for sustain-
able development. They can provide independent advice and a
wide range of knowledge;
they are in a position to foster
dialogue with civil society and stakeholders; they can play an
in monitoring progress towards longer-term
important part
sustainability goals, and exercise a valuable challenge function
when progress is falling short.

3.8 While some Member States have no or only inactive
councils, those that are active differ considerably in their remit,
composition, independence, resources and also as to the impact
of their work. This is the result of a variety of factors: the size
the role given to
and political organisation of
sustainable development policies by government, the tradition
of civil society involvement,
the existence of other bodies
partially covering the remit of a council, the will of the govern-
ment to accept advice from another body, etc.

the country,

3.9
The full potential of NCSDs is not exploited in all
Member States. In some, the establishment of a council seems

3.10 Most councils do not seem to have sufficient resources
their assigned tasks. A significant amount of
to fulfil all
manpower and funding is necessary to assemble evidence,
analyse policies and their impact, organise council meetings and
public engagement processes, produce well-argued and authori-
tative reports and to promote them actively to government and
others.

3.11
In some Member States, the government appears to
have a very strong role, e.g. as regards the appointment of
council members, the number of government representatives on
the council and the staff working for the council. In such cases,
there is a certain risk that the government's view may dominate
the work of the council, making it less likely that the council
can play a significant part in helping governments to transcend
shorter-term political
towards
considerations
longer-term sustainability goals.

and move

NCSDs have had mixed experiences

in promoting
3.12
engagement with civil
society on sustainable development
issues. Councils across Europe could have much to learn from
each other in terms of developing good practice in this regard.

3.13
For many sustainable development issues competence is
shared between the European Union and Member States. But
most councils have a limited capacity to focus on the European
aspects or to exercise any influence in Brussels. They have
partly addressed this through the creation of the EEAC network,
which is becoming an increasingly significant voice for sustain-
able development in Europe.

4. Recommendations

Following the positive experiences in Member States with
4.1
‘strong’ NCSDs,
to
strengthen their councils or to create strong councils where they
do not yet exist.

the EESC calls on all Member States

The composition, mandate and functions of NCSDs will
4.2
differ from country to country depending on local circum-
stances and political structures. The EESC recommends that
Member States give close attention to the following general
recommendations on the key aspects of councils.

have more

they include representatives from all

4.2.1 Membership: NCSDs
and
the main
credibility if
society concerned with sustainable development
sectors of
issues. The broader the basis of membership, the higher the
probability that solutions which will be broadly accepted can be
found.

authority

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4.2.2 Mandate and vision: Achieving sustainability requires
decision-makers to develop a long-term view and to take
account of the needs of future generations and of the planet as
a whole, as well as more immediate and short-term political
considerations. NCSDs can play an important part in articu-
lating that long-term vision. To play that role effectively they
need to have members with vision, authority and standing in
society, capable of taking an independent view and of challen-
ging existing policies and practices.

if

4.2.3
Independence: NCSDs would be able to exercise a
stronger influence in the direction of more sustainable develop-
independence from
ment
government, and were able to take up difficult political issues
where there may be some degree of conflict between shorter-
term political objectives and longer-term sustainability needs.

they had a sufficient degree of

4.2.4
Scope: NCSDs should, from an early stage, play an
important part in the development of sustainable development
(and related) strategies and in monitoring their implementation.
This includes addressing a wide range of sustainability issues like
climate change, energy and transport policies, biodiversity, rural
the
and agricultural
economy in a sustainable way. NCSDs are likely to be most
productive if
they are able to both respond to government
requests to study particular issues and also to take up other
areas they deem to be important on their own initiative.

issues, and the overall management of

4.2.5
Access to information: In order to work well, NCSDs
need the capacity to gather evidence from all relevant sources
and, in particular, to have good access to government informa-
tion and thinking.

4.2.6
Promoting the engagement of civil society on sustain-
able development issues: One important role of NCSDs is to
increase public awareness. They can have a valuable role in
aiding the relevant authorities to incorporate the sustainable
development perspective into formal and informal education.
They can promote wider understanding of the issues in the
media. The publication of annual ‘state of sustainability’ reports
by NCSDs could draw additional attention to the subject and
foster public debate.

Brussels, 12 December 2007.

Resources: The EESC calls on the Member States to
4.2.7
ensure sufficient funding of NCSDs so that they are able to fulfil
their tasks and provide real added value to the debates and the
decision-making process on sustainability issues.

4.2.8
European engagement: The Committee encourages the
NCSDs to pool experience, exchange best practice and maintain
open dialogue among the councils, particularly through the
strengthening of the EEAC network. This would create a strong
European voice for sustainable development.

4.3
The EESC also recommends that NCSDs seek to step up
their capacity to engage individually and collectively with the
European institutions on European aspects of sustainable devel-
opment policy from the perspective of civil society. The EESC
(and specifically the Sustainable Development Observatory)
could play a useful role here in facilitating stronger engagement
by NCSDs on European sustainability issues. The EESC could
seek to engage with the EEAC and its members, on a regular
basis on upcoming issues. It could seek to support EU-wide
comparative studies on such topics, focusing particularly on the
input and role of civil society. It could also seek to highlight and
publicise examples of best practice.

The EESC stresses that broad public participation in
4.4
sustainable development
issues over and above the national
councils' activities is also essential. It therefore calls on govern-
ments at national, regional and local
levels to involve civil
society representatives in all policy decisions with a significant
sustainability aspect. There are no guidelines laying down
minimum standards of good practice in terms of involving the
public. To support the participation process, the EESC recom-
mends carrying out regular benchmarking or rewarding of best
practices. NCSDs should also ensure that they work closely
together with other organisations and institutions that deal with
sustainable development in their Member State, including with
the national Economic and Social Councils where they exist.

To conclude, the EESC points out that the work of the
4.5
NCSDs can only be fruitful if governments are willing to listen
to and take heed of their advice and if they take concrete action
in shifting national policies
sustainable
approach, including the allocation of adequate funding.

towards a more

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS