The EU has committed itself to ensure that all its development activities are environmentally sustainable, as a necessary step to ensure its overall objective of poverty reduction. Since 1998, the European institutions have emphasised the need to systematically incorporate environment considerations – referred to as environmental mainstreaming - into all EC development co-operation, in particular CSPs/RSPs as well as NIPs/RIPs

The 2000 Cotonou Agreement (Art. 32) provided for a legal basis to push for the integration of environmental considerations into all aspects of development cooperation, including programmes and projects. But it was not until 2005, when the EU revised its development policy -the so called European Consensus on development – that the fight against poverty “in the context of sustainable development” was introduced as the main objective of EU development co-operation. This new commitments places the goal of achieving environmental development at the same level of economic and social development.

Specifically, the European Community commits to “support the efforts undertaken by its partner countries to incorporate environmental considerations into development, (… giving) particular attention to initiatives ensuring the sustainable management and preservation of natural resources, including as a source of income, and as a means to safeguard and develop jobs, rural livelihoods and environmental goods and services.” (Para. 75)

Moreover, the EU’s development policy includes the requirement to integrate environmental sustainability, indigenous peoples, human rights, gender equality and good governance issues into all EC aid activities. These so called cross-cutting issues are considered at once objectives in themselves and key factors in strengthening the impact and sustainability of co-operation.

Despite commitments, EU aid has been very poor in integrating environmental issues in its co-operation activities with partner countries (see evaluations). Civil society actors should engage in the programming process to ensure that the next round of CPSs/RSPs include environmental integration or recognise that adequate natural resource use is vital for a country’s survival.

Evaluation of environmental integration in EC aid

• FERN (2002) Forest at the Edge, Dec 2002. Brussels
• European Commission (2004) Evaluation of the Environment and Forests Regulations 2493/2000 and 2494/2000 - ref. 951660. Nov 2004, Brussels.