Europe and Asia discuss environmental cooperation for first time
Environment ministers from each EU Member State and Commission representatives met with ten Asian countries at the ASEM (Asia-Europe meeting) summit in Beijing, China on 15 to 17 January to discuss closer cooperation in environmental matters, including the production of clean technology and biosafety. This is the first time that environmental policies have been discussed at an ASEM meeting since their conception in 1996. In addition to clean technology and biosafety, the meeting saw discussion of cooperation in climate change, energy, water resources, protection of the urban environment, desertification and poverty. The meeting also considered preparation for the Johannesburg summit on sustainable development, due to take place from 26 August to 4 September 2002. The ten Asian countries represented at the summit were Brunei, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.