Investing in Sustainable Development

By European Trades Union Confederation (ETUC)

The ETUC has joined forces with environmental and social NGOs in a campaign to persuade governments and the EU to launch a major programme of public investments with the aim to achieve sustainable development of employment, social and environment.

At a conference held in Dublin on 2 February 2004 John Monks, General Secretary of the ETUC stressed that the ETUC believes that a sustainable development strategy should concentrate on four short points:

1) the inclusion of environmental issues in the European strategy for employment and in national strategies for employment;

2) a review of the European Structural Funds and other support measures, to ensure that the environmental dimension is treated as a pivotal element along with employment considerations;

3) an integrated approach to R&D at European level; and

4) the inclusion of sustainable development in the industrial policy action plan which the Commission is due to present in March, and especially in any sectoral action plans.