Commission reports on environmental integration
The European Commission has adopted a report on the progress of mainstreaming the environment. The report was addressed to the European Council at its meeting in Cologne on 3 to 4 June 1999, and highlighted the integration of the environment into sectors such as transport, energy, industry, internal market and development cooperation. The process of environmental integration started at the Luxembourg European Council in December 1997. There it was stated that environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the European Union's policies and activities to promote sustainable development. According to the report, climate change is one of the major environmental challenges and a key issues for integration. Therefore the report on integration is closely linked to the separate report by the Commission on a climate change strategy for the EU, adopted on 19 May 1999. Decisions on integrating environmental concerns into transport and energy policy will be essential if the EU is to begin to take steps to meet its ambitious target. Furthermore, six sectoral Councils - Agriculture, Transport, Energy, Industry, Internal Market and Development - were invited to develop integration strategies for the Helsinki European Council, in December 1999. The Commission insists on the urgent need for action and underlines the responsibility of Member States in this process. The aim of integration is to ensure that environmental considerations become part of every new initiative in all policy sectors.