Commission confirms commitment to environmental objectives
Commission President Jacques Santer, and Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard, responsible for the environment, have confirmed the Commission's commitment to achieving environmental objectives, and pledged to give new momentum to the integration of Europe's environmental objectives with social and economic objectives. The Commissioners were speaking at a meeting on World Environment Day - 5 June - held to launch the new European Green Forum, an independent body set up to give advice to the Commission on environmental policies and initiatives. President Santer reiterated the Commission's desire to strengthen the environmental chapter of the Treaty on European Union, and called on the Heads of State and Government to do so at the Amsterdam European Council. Sustainable development, he said, should be one of the EU's main objectives. He also called for global action to be taken in the international meetings to be held in the next few months. Concrete action was needed on a limited number of priorities, he said, and the EU should take a lead in this. Commissioner Bjerregaard announced that the Commission would shortly propose a new framework of concrete measures to protect Europe's environment and move to sustainable development in the next century. This would focus on: - Integration of environmental policies into other policy areas; - Emphasizing and building the links between environmental protection and employment; - Assisting the Central and Eastern European countries - future EU Members - to improve their environments; - Ensuring full and even implementation of environmental legislation across the EU.