REPORT FROM THE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES COMMITTEE TO THE COUNCIL
A strategy for integration of sustainable development into the Enterprise policy of the European Union
- Draft Council conclusions
1. On the basis of its Memorandum entitled "
2. At its meeting on 27 April 2001, the Permanent Representatives Committee examined these draft conclusions and agreed on the text set out in the Annex to the present note.
3. Under these circumstances, the Council is invited to adopt these draft conclusions at its session of 14 and 15 May 2001.
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ANNEX
DRAFT COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON A STRATEGY FOR INTEGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INTO THE ENTERPRISE POLICY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
RECALLING
- the EC Treaty and in particular its Articles 2, 6 and 157;
- the Conclusions of the Cardiff, Vienna, Cologne and Helsinki European Councils concerning the integration of environment and sustainable development into all Community policies;
- the Conclusions of the Lisbon and Stockholm European Councils concerning further action in priority areas with a view to making the EU the world's most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion;
- the Council Resolution on the precautionary principle as endorsed by the Nice European Council;
- the Council conclusions on 29 April 1999 and the Council report adopted on 9 November 1999 on the integration of sustainable development into the Industry policy of the European Union;
- the Council conclusions on 29 June 2000 on promoting sustainable development in the EU non-energy extractive industry;
- the Multiannual Programme for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (2001-2005);
- the European Charter for Small Enterprises;
CONFIRMS its commitment to integrate sustainable development in enterprise policy by means of a strategy including objectives, a timetable for further measures and a set of indicators, bearing also in mind the review of progress made by the European Council at its Spring meeting in 2002;
RECOGNISES the integration of sustainable development as a challenge but at the same time EMPHASISES the potential to stimulate innovation and create new business opportunities and competitive advantage for European enterprises while bearing in mind the need for SMEs to be part of this process;
STRESSES the urgent need to further integrate the economic, social and environmental policy dimensions in Enterprise policy in a balanced way, and, when considering policy actions in one dimension, to ensure effective co-ordination at Community and Member State levels to assess and take into account its effects on the other two;
UNDERLINES that, under its primary objective of promoting the competitiveness of European industry, within a knowledge-based economy, bearing in mind the importance of incentives for RTD, innovation and business creation, taking into account the special needs and difficulties of SMEs, a sustainable Enterprise policy also has to address issues of special relevance such as:
- ensuring a well functioning internal market and sound, simple and predictable administrative and regulatory framework conditions, so that research, innovation and entrepreneurship in particular can flourish, within the economic policy dimension;
- promotion of full employment, high quality education and training, life-long learning, equal opportunities in work life, and quality in work, within the social policy dimension;
- 6th Environmental Action Program, climate change, waste-management, a sustainable chemicals policy, biological diversity, efficient use of resources, best available technologies (BATs) and integrated product policy (IPP), within the environmental policy dimension;
CONSIDERS
- that in a strategy for integration of sustainable development into Enterprise policy, within a balanced mix of policy instruments and bearing in mind that such a strategy cannot rely mainly on regulatory instruments, priority should be given to market-based as well as voluntary approaches;
- that guiding principles when selecting measures should be cost-effectiveness, effective consultation with stakeholders and decisions based on the best available scientific evidence and on new and improved scientific knowledge;
- that policy makers at European, national, regional and local levels should therefore act as catalysts within the framework of a dialogue with industry and other stakeholders;
CALLS ON MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION, AND UNDERTAKES
- when designing policies, to take account of the three dimensions of sustainable development in a balanced way through improved mechanisms for dialogue and co-operation between economic, environmental and social policy-makers and through this integrated approach consistent with the goals of sustainable development and competitiveness of the EU industry, giving priority to market-based as well as voluntary approaches;
- to consider and meet the special needs and difficulties of SMEs when measures and policies are developed;
CALLS ON MEMBER STATES to develop their catalyst role by reinforcing their dialogue with industry and other stakeholders on the use, development and improvement of appropriate market-based as well as voluntary approaches and by promoting and co-ordinating the exchange of experience and best practice at their national level;
CALLS ON THE COMMISSION
- to act as a catalyst, notably by increasing knowledge and competence for sustainable solutions and co-ordinating the dissemination of experience and best practice among the Member States;
- to foster integration of sustainable development into Enterprise policy notably within the objectives of the Multiannual Programme for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) (2001-2005), using the Best Procedure, and report every second year on the progress made, first report before the end of 2002 as part of the reporting process under the Multiannual Programme;
- to maximise the use of market-based as well as voluntary approaches when developing policies that contribute to the goal of sustainable development;
- to develop indicators to be included at an appropriate stage in the Enterprise policy scoreboard for monitoring the integration of sustainable development;
- to enter, as a regular item on the Enterprise Policy Group agenda the integration of sustainable development issues into Enterprise policy, taking note of the interest expressed by this Group to contribute to the co-ordination and monitoring of the development and implementation of a strategy;
UNDERTAKES to enter, as a regular item on the Council agenda, a review of progress towards integration of sustainable development into Enterprise policy, in particular the results of the activities carried out under the Best procedure, as a basis for policy recommendations and further development of a strategy.
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