Aug. 26, 2007
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso expressed a degree of scepticism in a speech given during Green Week. "Despite our efforts, we cannot yet say that we are firmly on the path to sustainable development," Barroso said.
Tying in with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the European Commission's Green Week took place in the European capital of Brussels from June 12-15, and drew an estimated 4,000 participants. Carrying the motto 'Past Lessons, Future Challenges' the event provided an opportunity to discuss the impact of EU green policies to date, and to plot the course of future initiatives.
Twenty-two separate conferences and numerous exhibitions and side events covered a wide range of environmental issues, including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable production and consumption patterns, and eco-friendly technologies.
As head of the EC's Environment Department, Mogens Peter Carl said that EU legislation has been most successful in areas where it is clearest, but added that the EU is struggling to resolve perceived conflicts and contradictions when confronted with the twin tasks of environment protection and economic growth.
