COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Fourteenth Session, New York, 01 ? 12 May 2006
Delivered version, 02 May 2006
Regional discussions: Europe and others
· The EU wishes to thank the UNECE Secretariat and UNDESA for organising the
Regional Implementation Forum in the run up to this year?s CSD session. The UNECE
RIF?s outcome reinforced our appreciation that countries, also within our own region,
experience quite different challenges and opportunities in implementing their
commitments on CSD14/15 thematic issues.
· These diverse conditions and situations are well described in the Chair?s Summary which
is a valuable tool for both this session and CSD 15. Indeed, the results of regional
meetings should not be lost when bringing the debate to the global level. The EU places
a strong emphasis on achieving global sustainable development, as shown through for
instance the EU Neighbourhood Policy and the recently adopted EU Strategy for Africa
for instance, the EU places.
· The EU notes with concern the Forum?s assessment that the region is not yet on track to
deliver its JPOI commitments relating to the four thematic issues as well as to the other
cross-cutting issues as identified at CSD 11. An in-depth political dialogue on common
policy objectives and specific countries? needs as well as exchange of best practices and
lessons learned are therefore very important steps.
· We still face serious difficulties in our region, in particular with regard to access to energy
services; energy efficiency and diversification of the energy mix, including increasing the
share of renewable energy; and energy security. A conducive investment climate and
innovative finance and market-oriented instruments, such as the CDM and JI are
essential to tackling this challenge. Working out a framework for progress and cooperation
? both between governments and between the private and public sectors ? is
one of the most important challenges facing us. Action to reinforce research and
development and demonstration efforts is urgent.
· On the fight against air pollution, the EU believes that this requires an integrated
approach. In moving forward, we should start by building on those areas where we
already have made and can make further progress. An example of this is the UNECE
Convention on Long-range Trans-boundary Air Pollution, which has already resulted in
substantial reductions of air pollution in Europe.
· The adverse effects of climate change are already being experienced, and further change
is inevitable. To avoid irreversible impacts, the EU holds the view that the global mean
surface temperature increase should not exceed 2°C above pre-industrial levels. For
achieving this, a joint global effort is required, with economically more developed
countries taking the lead to significantly reduce global emissions of green house gases.
This calls for the widest possible cooperation and participation in an effective and
appropriate international response to which we are clearly committed.
· Industrial development building on an economically, environmentally and socially sound
base is an engine for achieving the Millennium Development Goals and ensuring truly
sustainable economic growth. The EU sees a mutually reinforcing relationship between
environmental protection, competitiveness and social cohesion. The social dimension
was stressed by many during the RIF. We also have now committed to producing an EU
Sustainable Consumption and Production Action Plan by 2007.
· The EU was satisfied to see that cross-cutting issues received more attention du ring the
RIF than at previous sessions. The UNECE RIF has allowed us to share our thoughts
and listen to the views of others, to exchange experience and to talk about what we
collectively and individually see as priority areas where more needs to be done. This in
itself is a necessary step, bringing us closer to achieving our WSSD commitments.
Concerted action and combined efforts such as for instance expressed through the
UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development will take us crucial steps
further.
· Finally, the EU thinks that some reflection needs to be given here, to optimize the effect
of the different RIFs in the CSD process. All RIFs can improve civil society participation,
the attention needed for cross-cutting issues, and the necessary coherence with other
regional processes running on the same subject matter. At the CSD itself, we need
perhaps to find a different way to approach the regional debriefings within the
organisation of work avoiding parallel sessions, so to achieve better mutual integration of
the outcomes of all regional fora.
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