Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel today in Essen opened the Informal Meeting of EU Environment Ministers under Germany' Council Presidency. The focus of this three-day meeting will be on the links between environmental protection, innovation and employment. The meeting will also be attended by the environment ministers from the EFTA states (Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Iceland) and from the candidate countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and Environment Director-General Mogens Peter Carl (on behalf of Commissioner Dimas, who is unable to attend due to illness) will represent the European Commission at the meeting. UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner will also attend. At the same time as the ministerial meeting, a public environmental trade fair - ECOTEC - will take place at the Zeche Zollverein site. Numerous companies will present their products and services in the field of innovative environmental technologies.
Federal Environment Minister Gabriel: "There is increasing global awareness that environmental and climate protection do not hinder economic growth and that they in fact can hugely promote such growth. Europe has a key role to play in solving global environmental problems. European companies are global leaders on many lead markets for environmental technologies. In Essen we aim to discuss how framework conditions for ecological innovations can be further improved at EU level. In this way we aim to contribute to global sustainable development and at the same time make the most of the huge opportunities for industry and employment in Europe."
The environment ministers' discussions will be launched by a keynote presentation from US economist Jeremy Rifkin on the role of the European Union in the "third industrial revolution." The basis for discussions will be a policy paper drawn up by the Federal Environment Ministry. This paper analyses the potential of European companies on global lead markets for environmental technologies and highlights concrete areas of action for an ecological industrial policy - for example the ‘top runner' model, which has long been successful in Japan. With this model the most efficient product sets the standard which all other products have to reach within a certain period of time. This leads to competition for efficiency. A further issue to be addressed is improving the European emissions trading scheme. Discussions will also focus on whether the European Union's Lisbon Strategy on strengthening competitiveness will have to be more geared towards so-called "green markets" in view of global resource scarcity.
At the same time as the ministerial meeting, around 100 companies and institutions from all over Europe will be presenting their latest technologies and projects at the trade fair "ECOTEC - The Knowledge Market for Environmental Technologies". This exhibition, organised by the Federal Environment Ministry, also comprises a broad event programme and is open from 1 to 3 June. On 1 June 2007 ECOTEC will focus on young people. Students and young people can find out more about their potential career opportunities in the booming environmental technologies sector and there will be an award for the best environment ideas submitted by student companies. In the afternoon Minister Gabriel will launch a campaign geared to raising the awareness of young people for climate protection. On 2 June the exhibition will be part of the "ExtraSchicht – der langen Nacht der Industriekultur (Night of Industrial Heritage)" taking place throughout the Ruhr region. On 3 June it will be part of the Zeche Zollverein "Welterbetag" (World Heritage Day). "With this exhibition we want to raise awareness of and interest in the fascinating world of environmental technologies. And we also want to contribute to closing the much lamented gap between European policy and the public," emphasised Minister Gabriel.
Further information on the Informal Meeting of Environment Ministers is available at www.eu2007.de; information on the exhibition and event programme is available at www.ecotec2007.eu.
