At the same time, however, there were some positive developments: international dialogue became clearer and pan-European cooperation grew stronger, and many environmental agreements were signed under the UNECE aegis. Meanwhile, the 'Environment for Europe' process was launched in 1991 in Dobris (in then-Czechoslovakia, while the European Union continued to prepare new action programmes (five since 1972). Also, the EU now contains 27 members, with the largest wave of expansion occurring in 2004, when 10 new countries joined.
With the EU's half-billion inhabitants comprising the world's largest common market it is important to think of the bloc as an entity that should bear more responsibility for alleviating global problems, as it contributes to creating them. In fact, the European Union has the necessary economic, intellectual and cultural potential to be a global leader in enhancing sustainable development.
At the same time, the enlarged EU faces diverse and complex challenges: coping with global competition (namely the US and China), addressing growing institutional deficits, maintaining credibility and narrowing the economic disparities between old and new member states while ensuring the realisation of sustainability criteria. Other EU priorities are to enhance sustainable development in declarations and documents (e.g. the 2001 Gothenburg Strategy and the 2006 Renewed Sustainable Development Strategy) and to establish mechanisms for making them work, but it strikes me that essential profit-driven approaches tend to undermine the concept of sustainable development. The only chance that Central and Eastern Europe's new EU member states have for successful convergence with 'developed' Europe and creating a better quality of life for its citizens is the wise and efficient use of EU and domestic funds. These funds, utilised in an efficient manner by the recipient countries, can provide chances to move toward greater sustainable development. But we should not forget during this era of increasing globalisation and regional integration that it is impossible to establish 'islands of sustainability.' It is therefore vital to achieve lasting and durable solidarity between nations and regions and to spread this out over generations; and this involves addressing several moral questions.
National governments must strive to avoid dividedness within the European Union on issues such as climate change and energy security; and it will be necessary to locate necessary partners, as none of this can be accomplished alone. There is also a vital need to strengthen those institutions enhancing sustainable development, both at the governmental and NGO level
