§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken in response to the(a) ECE Regional Assessment report on progress made in the implementation of Local Agenda 21, (b) conclusions on sustainable development of the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting of May 2001 and (c) EU Sustainable Development Strategy of June 2001. [46568]
§ Mr. Meacher(a) The ECE Regional Assessment report covered the implementation of Agenda 21, not Local Agenda 21. The UK has promoted the conclusions of the report in subsequent discussions in the EU and the UN in preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
(b) The OECD Policy Report on Sustainable Development was endorsed by environment and finance Ministers at the OECD Ministerial Committee Meeting on 17 May 2001. The report outlines a policy framework for better integrating economic, environmental and social objectives, and decoupling economic growth from a range of environmental pressures. In response to the report, my Department has been closely involved in an initiative to develop indicators of sustainable development for use in OECD peer reviews. We have used the report to inform our approach to the external dimension of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and to the OECD's institutional report to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
(c) The Department has supported the implementation of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy through conclusions adopted by the Environment Council on 12 December 2000 and 4 March 2001, and at regular meetings with the European Commission and member states; reviewing the strategy is the responsibility of the European Council at its annual spring meetings.