A Sustainable Europe for a Better World:

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17 November 2007 | 2018

At its meeting in Helsinki in December 1999 the European Council invited the European Commission "to prepare a proposal for a long-term strategy dovetailing policies for economically, socially and ecologically sustainable development to be presented to the European Council in June 2001." This paper responds to that invitation. It builds on the Commission services’ consultation paper issued in March, and on the many responses to it. Download report (2001) (17 pages, 64KB PDF) 

 

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Economic Drivers for the 21st Century

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12 November 2007 | 1805

Despite widespread interest in the size of the renewable energy and energy efficiency (RE&EE) industries and the number of jobs these industries create, until now no one had conducted a comprehensive study of these industries. This American Solar Energy Society (ASES) study addresses this issue, and adds the following major contributions to the body of knowledge related to RE&EE:
• A rigorous definition of the RE&EE industries.
• An estimate of the size and composition of the RE&EE industries, including technology, sales, tax revenue, jobs, occupations, and skills.
• A forecast of the growth of these industries to 2030 under three scenarios.

Download the Report (Nov. 2007)(68 pages, 1.1 MB PDF) 

The Road to 2050. Sustainable Development in the 21th Century

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17 November 2007 | 2543

Along-term perspective on development o.ers some grounds for optimism. While gross domestic product (GDP) growth has been uneven across countries and over decades, developing countries have enjoyed signi.cant growth in life expectancy and levels of education since 1960. If GDP growth in developing countries can return to the rates of the 1960s and 1970s, then we can foresee a signi.cantly changed world by 2050—a world at once more wealthy and more equitable.
Download report (2006) (35 pages; 2MB PDF)

An Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union

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12 November 2007 | 1824

The seas are Europe's lifeblood. Europe's maritime spaces and its coasts are central to its wellbeing and prosperity – they are Europe's trade routes, climate regulator, sources of food, energy and resources, and a favoured site for its citizens' residence and recreation. Our interactions with the sea are more intense, more varied, and create more value for Europe than ever before. Yet the strain is showing. We are at a crossroads in our relationship with the oceans.

On the one hand technology and know-how allow us to extract ever more value from the sea, and more and more people flow to Europe's coasts to benefit from that value. On the other hand, the cumulated effect of all this activity is leading to conflicts of use and to the deterioration of the marine environment that everything else depends on. Europe must respond to this challenge; in a context of rapid globalisation and climate change the urgency is great.

The European Commission has recognised this, and launched a comprehensive consultation and analysis of how Europe relates to the sea1. It has triggered a massive response from stakeholders that reveals clearly the enormous potential of the seas, and the scale of the challenge if we are to realise that potential sustainably. It has also provided a wealth of ideas as to how Europe can rise to meet this challenge.

Building on this valuable input the Commission proposes an Integrated Maritime Policy for the European Union, based on the clear recognition that all matters relating to Europe's oceans and seas are interlinked, and that sea-related policies must develop in a joined-up way if we are to reap the desired results.

This integrated, inter-sectoral approach was strongly endorsed by all stakeholders. Applying it will require reinforced cooperation and effective coordination of all sea-related policies at the different decision-making levels. An Integrated Maritime Policy will enhance Europe's capacity to face the challenges of globalisation and competitiveness, climate change, degradation of the marine environment, maritime safety and security, and energy security and sustainability. It must be based on excellence in marine research, technology and innovation, and will be anchored in the Lisbon agenda for jobs and growth, and the Gothenburg agenda for sustainability.
Download report (2007) (16 pages, 200KB PDF)