Developing countries: integrate the environment in the development process, sustainable development

The committee adopted the recommendation for second reading (codecision procedure) by Anders WIJKMAN (EPP/ED, S) amending the Council's common position. In particular, the committee wanted the overall budget for the period 2000-2006 to be EUR 93m and not EUR 50.4m as proposed by Council. It also argued that development cooperation projects should include an environmental dimension, which would identify and assess the sustainability of projects. In addition, the report called for the use of renewable energy sources to be encouraged, harmful energy sources to be replaced by those which did less damage and biological diversity to be preserved (in particular by protecting ecosystems and habitats and conserving species diversity). The committee also wanted to see measures to boost trade in products manufactured using sustainable production methods, and called for information campaigns to be conducted on dangerous substances, in particular toxic waste and pesticides.�