COUNCIL OF Brussels, 9 June 2006

THE EUROPEAN UNION

10348/06

ENV 346
AGRI 212
COMPET 168
ECO 115
ECOFIN 212
ENER 188
DEVGEN 167
MI 134
PECHE 193
RELEX 399
SAN 171
SOC 309
TRANS 161
RECH 169
POLGEN 82
EDUC 135

"A" ITEM NOTE

from : General Secretariat
to : Council
No. prev. doc.: 10117/06 ENV 335 AGRI 205 COMPET 156 ECO 111 ECOFIN 203 ENER 184
DEVGEN 163 MI 131 PECHE 186 RELEX 384 SAN 166 SOC 298 TRANS 157
RECH 155 POLGEN 75 EDUC 133
No. Cion doc.: 15796/1/05 ENV 601 AGRI 355 ECO 159 ECOFIN 412 ENER 203 DEVGEN
254 MI 143 PECHE 285 RELEX 766 SAN 217 SOC 516 TRANS 285 RECH 242
EDUC 196 REV 1
Subject : Review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS)
− Renewed Strategy

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I. INTRODUCTION

1. Sustainable development is a fundamental objective of the Treaty of the European

Union (Article 2). A broad EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) was
adopted by the European Council in Göteborg in June 2001. In 2002, an external
dimension was added by the European Council in Barcelona, in the context of
preparations for the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development.

2. In June 2005, the European Council adopted a Declaration on Guiding Principles for
Sustainable Development based on four key objectives: environmental protection, social
equity and cohesion, economic prosperity and meeting international responsibilities.
This Declaration provides the renewed strategy with a conceptual framework.

On 13 December 2005, the Commission presented a communication 1 entitled "Review

of the Sustainable Development Strategy: a platform for action", which resulted from
the review process launched in 2004, in accordance with the commitment that the
EU SDS should be reviewed at the beginning of each new Commission's mandate.

In December 2005, the European Council looked forward to adopting in June 2006 an
ambitious and comprehensive strategy, comprising targets, indicators and an effective
monitoring procedure, which should integrate the internal and external dimensions, and
be based on a positive long-term vision, bringing together the Community's sustainable
development priorities and objectives in a clear, coherent strategy that can be
communicated simply and effectively to citizens.

3. Given the horizontal nature of sustainable development, a Friends of the Presidency

Group on the Review of the Sustainable Development Strategy was set up to help the
Austrian Presidency conduct this comprehensive review between February and
May 2006.

1
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament “On the
review of the Sustainable Development Strategy - A platform for action”
(COM(2005) 658 final - Council doc. 15796/05).

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 To ensure comprehensive coverage of the different policy areas, all Council formations
directly concerned (Environment, TTE-Transport, GAERC - External Relations,
AGRI/Fish, ECOFIN, EJC-Education, EPSCO-Employment and Social Affairs,
Competitiveness, EPSCO-Health and Consumer Protection , TTE-Energy) were invited
to hold policy debates on the basis of questions prepared by the Friends of the
Presidency Group.

4. The renewed strategy focuses on 7 priority areas for action: climate change and clean
energy; sustainable transport; sustainable consumption and production; conservation
and management of natural resources; public health; social inclusion, demography and
migration; and global poverty and sustainable development challenges.

It also addresses key cross-cutting policy issues such as education and training, research
and development, and financial and economic instruments. The aim of ensuring public
ownership of the strategy is reflected in a section on communication and mobilisation of
all actors concerned. Furthermore, the renewed SDS provides for effective follow-up
and monitoring of progress and seeks to clarify its relationship with the Lisbon Strategy.

5. On 9 June 2006, on the basis of a Presidency compromise package, Coreper agreed on

the text of the renewed EU Sustainable Development Strategy as it appears in the Annex
to doc. 10117/06.

II. ACTION BY THE COUNCIL

The Council (General Affairs) is invited, as an A-Item on the agenda for its 12 June 2006
meeting, to:
ƒ Confirm the agreement on the text as it appears in the Annex to doc. 10117/06; and
ƒ Recommend that the European Council, meeting on 16 June 2006, adopts the renewed
EU Sustainable Development Strategy.

___________________

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