1st Annual Conference, Brussels, 15–16 July 1993
of the European Environmental Advisory Councils EEACEU Environmental Policy and the Role
of Environmental Advisory BodiesHosted by the Environmental and Nature Council of Flanders, the Brussels Council for the Environment, and the Walloon Environmental Council
Introduction
In the second half of 1993 Belgium took over the presidency of the European Community. The three Belgian regional Advisory Councils for the environment considered the presidency to be an incentive and a challenge to cooperate "inter-regionally". This unique cooperation between the societal representative bodies led to a memorandum, which was drawn up in mutual consultation, and the organization of a meeting for Environmental Advisory Councils from all over Europe.
The conference offered the Environmental Advisory Councils, which have been set up by the regional or national authorities, the opportunity to assess their role and their significance in EU environmental policy. Moreover this conference was intended for the EU member states and the competent regions that wanted to be informed about the existing structural possibilities for participation and consultation in other member states or regions. Finally, this meeting served as a forum for the European Commission to present its forthcoming projects in respect of the implementation of principle of joint responsibility.
This is not a detailed report of the meeting but actually aims at surveying the main themes that were highlighted in the course of this two-day conference. In addition to the programme, a concise summary reproducing the viewpoints of the respective speakers is given of each speech.
This is a translation from the original version in Dutch. A French translation is available as well. All correspondence regarding the 1st Annual Conference should be sent to: Francis Noyen
Copyright © 2000-2004 by European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils, Den Haag. All Rights Reserved.