Posted on March, 16 2005

Brussels, Belgium - WWF European Policy Office’s Director Tony Long, met on 15 March with President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso to discuss sustainable development in EU policy.

The European Commission is currently proposing a review of the so-called "Lisbon strategy", the EU reform agenda adopted in 2000 to promote economic, social and environmental sustainability. It is also reviewing the EU sustainable development strategy, which aims "to reconcile economic development, social cohesion, North/South equity and protection of the environment".
 
"The European Union must not talk about sustainable development just as some long term project. The EU needs to act now and across all sectors", was the message delivered by Tony Long to President Barroso.
 
"The reviews of the Lisbon and sustainable development strategies seem to say that the EU will tackle environmental issues later, when Europe is back on a better economic path. This deferring of environmental and sustainability action shows a lack of urgency and a disjunction with the pressure that humanity is now placing on the planet", said Tony Long.

"The review of the sustainable development strategy should have equivalent status to the Lisbon strategy. They should march alongside as complementary activities and not competing ones. Jobs and growth will follow from the path of sustainability that all economies of the world will now have to confront", he added.
 
Tony Long asked for the creation of a Commission’s high level group to oversee the sustainable development strategy review, similar to the ones on Lisbon strategy and competitiveness. The European Commission should also establish meaningful targets and milestones, as well as monitoring arrangements, but no more paper commitments.
 
The EU sustainable development strategy and the Lisbon strategy are major issues in the agenda of the European Council, meeting in Brussels on 22-23 March.
 
Tony Long met President Barroso together with directors of leading environmental and health NGOs with offices in Brussels. The "Green 9" group include WWF, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Birdlife, Climate Action Network, the European Environmental Bureau, the European Public Health Alliance - Environment Network, the European Federation for Transport and Environment and International Friends of the Nature. 
 
For further information:
Claudia Delpero, Press Officer
WWF European Policy Office,
Tel. +32 2 7400925,
Email: cdelpero@wwfepo.org