Joint Statement of the Sixth Meeting of Ministers of Environment of the Visegrad Group Countries on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation

Environment for Europe

1. The Ministers stress their support for the process "Environment for Europe" started in 1991 in the Czech Town of Dobříš that will continue in May 2003 in the 5th Ministerial Conference in Kyiv.
2. The Ministers recognise the important role of the European regional bodies co-operating in the preparation efforts for the Kiev conference, in particular the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE), the Regional Office for Europe of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as well as that of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
3. The Ministers express their satisfaction with the accession of the Visegrad Group countries to the majority of multilateral environmental treaties negotiated under the auspices of the UN ECE mainly the Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context, Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes.
4. The Ministers confirm their commitment to ratify as soon as possible other conventions and protocols under the UN ECE in particular Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Environmental Decision—Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, Protocol on Water and Health and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, protocols to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, i.e., on Heavy Metals, on Persistent Organic Pollutants and to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground—Level Ozone.
5. The Ministers will instruct their relevant national institutions actively participate in the Second Biodiversity in Europe Conference and Annual Meeting of the Council of the Pan - European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy to be held in Budapest in February 2002.
6. The Ministers consider as very important part of environmental European co-operation the protection of principal river basins, in particular those effecting the territory of the Visegrad Group countries and support the activities of the e.g. International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River, the International Commission for the Protection of the Oder River against Pollution and the International Commission for the Protection of the Elbe River. The Ministers agree to consult in the process of preparation for and actively participate at the Danube/Black Sea Region Informal Ministerial Meeting convened by the Commissioner of the EU for the Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection, Ms. Margot Wallström on 26 November 2001 in Brussels.

Global issues

1. The preparation for the WSSD in 2002 in Johannesburg as one of the priorities of the Visegrad Group countries that have already adopted or they are just finalising their national strategies for sustainable development. Due to geographic closeness and to environmental, social and economic similarity of these four Central European countries, the inter-linkage and harmonisation between their national strategies for sustainable development is desirable as a one of contribution to the WSSD. Further assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that significantly contributed to successful elaboration of national strategies could be an important impetus for such contribution.
2. The Ministers agree that at their 7th meeting in spring 2002 they will consider the possibility to present a joint statement of the Visegrad Group Countries for the World Summit on Sustainable Development reflecting the outcomes and contributions of the UN ECE and the European Union. In this respect the Visegrad Group countries will actively participate in the UN ECE Special Session on 24–25 September 2001.
3. The Ministers recommend that the delegations of the Visegrad Group countries to the WSSD will be headed by Presidents or by Prime Ministers to demonstrate that sustainable development is on the top of political agenda of the Visegrad Group respective countries.
4. The Ministers agreed to recommend the issue of preparation for the WSSD for the agenda of the next V4 Prime Ministers' Meeting.
5. The Ministers reiterate their support for the UNEP, as the leading global environmental institution, in improving and strengthening the international environmental governance as was stated in the Nairobi and Malmö Declaration. The Ministers highly appreciate the work done in the international environmental governance by the UNEP and reaffirm their commitment to actively participate in finding consensual solution before the WSSD to strengthen the UNEP. The Czech Republic offers the co-ordination of preparation of the Visegrad Group countries for the Third Global Ministerial Environment Forum and the Seventh Special Session of the Governing Council of the UNEP in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, in February 2002.
6. The Ministers support the active role of their representatives in further discussion with the aim to adopt by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - COP 6 (The Hague, the Netherlands, April 2002) and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)—COP 7 a decision as suggested by CBD recommendation of the subsidiary body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (Montreal, March 2001) and a decision on Joint CMS-CBD Work Programme addressing all international and national levels.
7. The Ministers stress the importance of accession of the Visegrad Group countries to the new global environmental treaties, e.g., Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides, Cartagena protocol on Biosafety, Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. The Ministers underline the necessity of assuring predictable, reliable and stable financial resources for effective functioning of multilateral environmental treaties and for promoting the principle of joint and shared responsibility.
8. The Ministers are aware of transition of their respective countries from the recipient to donor countries. The Ministers support the use not only of traditional channels of voluntary contributions to the funds of different environmental institutions and multilateral treaties but also through investment and non-investment bilateral and multilateral projects under ODA in developing countries and in countries with economy in transition.
9. In this respect the Ministers were honoured to participate at the awarding diploma ceremony of the 4th Annual Summer School of the Development Assistance and Co-operation, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, University of Olomouc and the UNDP. The Ministers agree with the proposal of the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic to organise in 2002 "Visegrad Group countries' Summer School of Development Aid and Co-operation".
10. The Ministers recognise the role and integrated character of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification on Those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought an/or Desertification, Particularly in Africa (UNCCD). The Ministers express a hope that by the end of 2001 all Visegrad Group countries will be Parties to the UNCCD. The Executive Secretary of the UNCCD Mr. Hama Arba Diallo presented the proposal of "Transboundary Pilot Project in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger (Liptako-Gourma)" for possible involvement of the Visegrad Group countries that will be further considered in the framework of their national ODA.
11. The Visegrad Group countries welcome the results the 6th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in July 2001. Ministers agree that the ratification process of the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC should be possibly completed before the WSSD. Ministers agree that the Slovak Republic will be responsible for the co-ordination of preparation of the common statement of the Visegrad Group countries for the 7th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Marrakesh, Morocco, in November 2001.
12. The Ministers support the future activities of the Regional Training Centre for the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal.

Joint Environmental Program for Visegrad Group countries

Nature conservation

Animal protection