§ Sir Irvine PatnickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the current position on the development of the European spatial development perspective. [39642]
§ Mr. Robert B. JonesThe Committee for Spatial Development continues to work, under the direction of informal meetings of European Planning Ministers, on collecting and analysing the basic information required for the development of an ESDP. This will be a non-binding document prepared jointly by member states and the European Commission. It is intended to identify areas of Europe facing similar planning challenges and raise awareness of the European scale influences at work. The Netherlands' Minister has indicated that the process of drafting the document will start during its presidency next year. Bearing in mind the likely significance of any ESDP at local government level, consultation will be carried out once a draft document is available. In the Committee for Spatial Development, the UK continues to stress the importance of the informal intergovernmental approach and the non-binding nature of the ESDP.