Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-24-Speech-3-324"
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"en.20030924.12.3-324"2
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"Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is now a year since the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. In our decision, supported unreservedly by my political group, we emphasise that measures to implement the Johannesburg programme are necessary. That is not something we are now addressing for the first time. In Johannesburg, where many of us were disappointed by the results because they fell short of the European Union’s demands, we already knew what was required. There is, however, a chance, at least in the future, to make up some ground in this area if we can achieve many of the objectives we set ourselves in Johannesburg and if we can really achieve significant progress in a number of areas.
I admit that we do not at present find specifically the best conditions in relation to our demand that, in particular, the European Union ought, in the future too, to play a pioneering role in issues of sustainable development. I am just thinking of the long discussions on chemicals policy and also in other important areas. I also know that, in this area, it is not so much the Commission that is putting the brakes on but, without a doubt, the Member States too. Nor, however, is the current Presidency, whose representatives in the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy painted a very sad picture a few weeks ago – also in connection with the issue of sustainable development – the best advertisement when we at present talk about this topic.
I was disturbed to learn that the Presidency has apparently either not understood, or not wanted to understand, either the principle of shared responsibility on the part of the developed and developing countries or the principle of different degrees of responsibility according to which, if we cause pollution, we must assume greater responsibility.
The Commissioner has already mentioned a number of the points I wanted to raise. She has informed us about the water and energy initiatives. I am already delighted about the comprehensive reports on these subjects, because the very participants in this House’s parliamentary delegation were very anxious that the projects concerned were too large or that, for example, renewable energy would be under-represented in the energy initiative and that traditional forms of energy would be accorded undue support.
I hope that, in the near future, we can count upon a proposal by the Commission on chemicals policy. One objective of Johannesburg was, of course, to reverse the trend by 2020 where dangerous chemicals are concerned. I believe that the problems with chemicals policy also show that having our own committee on sustainable development does not help us out of the difficulties. There are very detailed discussions, and we must work through one topic after another and, in the case of every topic – including chemicals policy – bear in mind the need for sustainable development."@en1
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