Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-02-14-Speech-3-296"
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"en.20010214.8.3-296"2
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"The record number of questions means that this will be, if not a record length answer, then at least as detailed an answer as possible.
Where the industrial side of this overall strategy is concerned, the Council would remind MEPs that, in the report to the European Council in Helsinki, it was emphasised that a strong contribution was required from the industrial sector in order to strengthen sustainable development in the economic area. At the same time, it set out once again the key role that this sector has in respect of improving the competitiveness of European industry and its capacity for innovation in order to encourage employment within industry and related sectors. The horizontal nature of this issue calls for better cooperation and exchange of information between all the parties and decision-makers concerned.
Once again: hopefully, the conclusions that will be established at the European Council summit in Gothenburg will be of very great interest. To show, through a concrete measure, the extent to which the Council is attempting to maximise the integrated strategy when it comes to environmental matters, the Council intends to draw up certain conclusions at the Council meeting in May at which both energy and industry ministers will gather together in order to take this work further.
Finally, as far as economic and financial matters are concerned, the Council wishes to inform MEPs that, at the European Council summit in Nice, the Council submitted an initial report concerning how environmental dimensions can be integrated into the economic policy of the Union and its Member States. In this area, the Gothenburg Summit will once again follow up this report and, in particular, will investigate how a European strategy for sustainable economic development can be elaborated in which environmental dimensions are taken into consideration. The Ecofin Council will undoubtedly be urged to apply such a strategy within its area of authority as soon as the European Council has approved such a strategy.
The Council is pleased to tell MEPs that the environmental protection requirements under article 6 of the EC Treaty are to be integrated into the elaboration and implementation of the Community’s policies and activities, particularly with a view to encouraging sustainable development. The strategies for incorporating environmental dimensions into the Council’s activities will be established ahead of the European Council meeting in Gothenburg in June of this year. At this stage, therefore, it is a touch early to report on the details of all these strategies. The Presidency and the Commission are currently working intensively on these matters in the various Council constellations concerned.
In December 1999 in Helsinki, the Council established the timetable for the European Council in Gothenburg and called upon the Council to complete its work on incorporating the environmental dimensions into all the Council’s activities by producing overall strategies, if possible accompanied by a timetable for the measures to be taken and a set of indicators for the sectors concerned. Once these strategies have been established, they should help with carrying out the commitments under the Kyoto Protocol, supplement measures at national and regional level and emphasise the need for closer cooperation between different areas of sectoral policy.
Hopefully, the important role that these strategies will play for the implementation of sustainable development is therefore obvious. The implementation and follow up of all this work has been entrusted to the Commission and the Council. Internally within the Council, the various bodies that prepare the considerations have a duty to use the various steps of the traditional decision-making process to ensure good coordination in order, as best as possible, to meet the challenge set by the European Council. The participation of Parliament will be ensured in accordance with the provisions of the treaty.
It must be stressed that the Council shares the view of MEPs and is prepared, together with all the political and economic players in this area, to ensure success with a holistic approach when it comes to environmental matters within the various policy areas concerned.
Concerning the integration of environmental dimensions and sustainable development in all sector policy, much can be said concerning how and to what extent the Council is applying the provisions of article 6 of the Treaty. Without dealing with this matter exhaustively – which is not possible because it covers an incredibly wide area – I would like to emphasise some of the most relevant aspects of the situation.
First there is energy policy, which the Council considers to be one of its highest priority areas. The Council is fully contributing to the three important objectives emphasised in the programme of the Swedish Presidency for this six months. In this respect, the Council would remind MEPs of the Council’s conclusions of December 1999, which already contain a detailed preliminary set of indicators covering the area of energy in general, including the environmental consequences, the energy market and energy efficiency.
The application of these conclusions and the set of indicators is to be evaluated at two-yearly intervals. In addition, a final decision is expected this year on the directive on the promotion of electricity from renewable sources of energy.
To prepare the way for the European Council meeting in Gothenburg in June, the Council will discuss a communication concerning the integration of the environment dimensions and sustainable development into energy policy, as well as the proposed sixth action plan at Community level for sustainable development. Both are to be presented by the Commission in the next few weeks. A number of measures are to commence within the framework of the action plan for increased energy efficiency based on the priorities established by the Council at its meeting on 5 December 2000."@en1
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