§ Mr. Matthew TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to implement the Cardiff Summit Ministerial Declaration on environmental integration; what indicators he is developing for measuring progress; and if he will raise these matters during the forthcoming Energy and Transport Council of Ministers meetings. [55779]
§ Mr. MealeDuring our recent Presidency of the EU the Government established a co-ordinating group of representatives from the European Commission and the three succeeding Presidencies—Austria, Germany and Finland—to help guide the process of environmental integration in EU policy-making up to 2000. This initiative has now been passed to the Austrian Presidency. UK officials continue to take an active role in this forum which is taking forward the development strategies within the various sectoral Councils. This will ensure that environmental integration and sustainable development are taken fully into account within those respective policy areas. The use of indicators is being considered as part of this process.
To meet the terms of the agreement at the Cardiff European Council we are working with the Austrian Presidency in the preparation of the report which the Transport Council will consider at the end of November. My Department is similarly working with the Department of Trade and Industry in support of a Presidency report on environment/energy policy for discussion at the Energy Council on 13 November. My right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is also taking a positive role in the report being prepared on agriculture/environment for the Agriculture Council. All reports will be submitted to the European Council in Vienna.
10WIn the UK we are developing a national sustainable development strategy which we expect to publish early in 1999.This will be accompanied by a set of indicators covering, inter alia, transport, energy and agriculture. We are also contributing to the development of a transport and environment report mechanism which will establish a set of indicators at the European level.