Commission Communication proposes new areas for sustainable development policy
The European Commission will submit a Communication to the Gothenburg Council proposing the inclusion of four new elements in the EU's sustainable development policy, announced John Nolan from the Information Society DG at the fifth meeting of the Norwegian Research and IT Forum in Brussels on 1 June. These four new elements are global warming, public health, biodiversity and transport. The Commission will also seek to make sustainable development a core EU objective. 'We have the opportunity to bring the issue of sustainable development to the international forum', said Mr Nolan. He added that there is even more of an opportunity for this since the USA withdrew from the Kyoto agreement. Mr Nolan stressed that Europe needs to strengthen research and innovation, which are 'the essential building blocks of growth' but find a balance between research and sustainable development