Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PARIS8034
2005-11-28 08:17:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

OECD REPORTING: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY COMMITTEE

Tags:  SENV ETRD KSCA FR OECD 
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280817Z Nov 05
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 008034 

SIPDIS

FROM USOECD

STATE FOR EUR/ERA
EPA FOR OIA/JAYRES AND BMCLEOD
STATE FOR OES/MGOLDBERG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ETRD KSCA FR OECD
SUBJECT: OECD REPORTING: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY COMMITTEE
EXTENDED BUREAU MEETING, NOVEMBER 9-10, PARIS, FRANCE


-------
SUMMARY
-------

Judith E. Ayres, Assistant Administrator for
International Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency,
led the U.S. delegation at the November 9-10 meeting of
the OECD Environmental Policy Committee (EPOC) extended
bureau, in Paris, France. The focus of the session was
to discuss a new Strategic Vision for EPOC and to
initiate discussions about EPOC's 2007-2008 program of
work. The U.S. worked successfully with the Swedish
Chair, Mats Olsson and other Member countries to
further refine the Strategic Vision. The Strategic
Vision will be finalized this November, via written
procedure, and forwarded to the full meeting of EPOC in
March 2006. The Strategic Vision places a renewed
emphasis on the economic aspects of environmental work
at OECD and will guide the prioritization of
environmental work at OECD over the next five to ten
years. The U.S. also offered its views on the
preliminary 2007-2008 program of work discussion paper
and will submit further comments in writing. The U.S.
is supportive of the proposed program of work
generally, and supports in particular the new program
output area "Environment in the Global Economy."

---------------------
EPOC Strategic Vision
---------------------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PARIS 008034

SIPDIS

FROM USOECD

STATE FOR EUR/ERA
EPA FOR OIA/JAYRES AND BMCLEOD
STATE FOR OES/MGOLDBERG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ETRD KSCA FR OECD
SUBJECT: OECD REPORTING: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY COMMITTEE
EXTENDED BUREAU MEETING, NOVEMBER 9-10, PARIS, FRANCE


--------------
SUMMARY
--------------

Judith E. Ayres, Assistant Administrator for
International Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency,
led the U.S. delegation at the November 9-10 meeting of
the OECD Environmental Policy Committee (EPOC) extended
bureau, in Paris, France. The focus of the session was
to discuss a new Strategic Vision for EPOC and to
initiate discussions about EPOC's 2007-2008 program of
work. The U.S. worked successfully with the Swedish
Chair, Mats Olsson and other Member countries to
further refine the Strategic Vision. The Strategic
Vision will be finalized this November, via written
procedure, and forwarded to the full meeting of EPOC in
March 2006. The Strategic Vision places a renewed
emphasis on the economic aspects of environmental work
at OECD and will guide the prioritization of
environmental work at OECD over the next five to ten
years. The U.S. also offered its views on the
preliminary 2007-2008 program of work discussion paper
and will submit further comments in writing. The U.S.
is supportive of the proposed program of work
generally, and supports in particular the new program
output area "Environment in the Global Economy."

--------------
EPOC Strategic Vision
--------------


1. As a member of the Task Force that drafted the new
EPOC Strategic Vision, the U.S. is a strong proponent
of the Vision and successfully negotiated further
refinements. The purpose of the Vision is to guide
environmental work of the Committee over the next 5-10
years; to promote the implementation of the OECD
Environmental Strategy for the First Decade of the 21st
Century; and to strengthen the economic component of
OECD's environmental agenda.


2. As a result of U.S. interventions, it was agreed
that final written comments on the draft Strategic
Vision could be submitted to the Secretariat by
November 16, 2005. It was further agreed that the
EPOC Chair would make further refinements to the
Strategic Vision including: adding a new key
introductory section; shortening the overall document
by moving lists of examples to an annex; incorporating

the concept of eco-efficiency policy innovations;
rephrasing the importance of country environmental
performance reviews (EPR) without specifically calling
for an increase in the frequency of EPRs; and recasting
the document to be more forward looking, rather than
including sections that recap past work of the
Committee.



3. Australian delegate and EPOC Bureau member Kevin
Keefe led a discussion about EPOC Communication
strategy and needs. He reminded delegates of the 2002
Communication discussion that EPOC held and suggested
that each program of work proposal in the future should
be accompanied by an explicit communication plan that
addresses who the target audience for the work is; what
the key messages of the work are; how the proposed work
relates to the Strategic Vision; and how the proposed
work will be evaluated.


4. The Chair summarized the Communication discussion
noting that EPOC should look for increased
opportunities to create debates around its work
products; that it should identify key work programs and
products worthy of more external communication efforts;
that it should assess the impact of its work in a more
explicit fashion; and that it should strengthen the
OECD web site to further the dissemination of EPOC
work. The Secretariat was asked to consider this
discussion and prepare a follow-up agenda item for the
March 2006 meeting.

--------------
Stakeholder Session
--------------


5. Representatives of the Business and Industry
Advisory Committee (BIAC),the Trade Union Advisory
Committee (TUAC) and European environmental groups gave
their comments about the strategic vision and the
proposed program of work. The BIAC attendees thought
the strategic vision was a positive development and
that it would help to prioritize EPOC's work program,
better integrate the environmental work into economic
considerations, and broaden the cooperation of
nonmember countries. BIAC will discuss the Strategic
Vision in its upcoming session with OECD member nation
Ambassadors. The European environmental groups,
represented by John Hontelez, noted their support for
the Strategic Vision and their concern for the use of
the term competitiveness. TUAC noted that the concept
of sustainable development seemed to be missing from
the Strategic Vision and challenged delegates to "set
the bar a bit higher". TUAC added that the connection
to social issues, such as employment security, could be
strengthened and noted the concentration of social and
environmental issues in the Secretary General's recent
priority list, currently under discussion by member
nations.

-------------- --------------
Discussion of the 2007-2008 Environment Program of Work
-------------- --------------


6. OECD Environment Directorate Director Lorents
Lorentsen opened the discussion of the 2007-2008
program of work by describing the proposed work program
areas from the perspective of the Strategic Vision. As
a result of Strategic Vision discussions, the
preliminary program of work includes a new output area
entitled "Environment in the Global Economy."


7. The U.S. noted that it was supportive, generally, of
all the proposed areas of work, including the new
output area "Environment in the Global Economy." The
U.S. suggested broadening the scope of proposed output
area 2.3.2 from the currently titled "Climate Change
and Biodiversity" to our proposed title "Natural
resource management, including climate change." We
emphasized that this change would allow EPOC to
maintain latitude to address other vital natural
resource issues such as, for example, surface, ground
and marine water management issues and urban and rural
land use issues -- -- without having to "link" such
discussions to climate change or biodiversity. This
notion was supported by some delegations (Canada,
Australia) and opposed by others (Swizterland, UK).


8. The U.S. secured permission from the Secretariat to
provide detailed written comments on the program of
work discussion paper by November 25, 2005. After that
time, the Secretariat will compile all written and oral
comments, attempt an initial prioritization of proposed
activities, provide budget figures for proposed
activities and provide all this information to
delegations by the end of January 2006. Delegations
will then proceed with a more explicit prioritization
exercise of this refined program document and submit
responses back to the Secretariat in early February

2006. The Secretariat will then formulate a new
version of the suggested 2007-2008 program of work and
budget for use at the March 1-3, 2006 meeting of EPOC.

--------------
Other Business
--------------


9. The Committee was briefed on the progress of the
OECD Headquarters site renovation project. This multi-
year project is reaching its mid point ahead of
schedule and on budget. The new conference center and
renovated Headquarters will be open for delegation
meetings as early as spring 2007.

--------------
Upcoming Meetings of EPOC
--------------


10. The Committee confirmed the following EPOC
meetings: March 1-3, 2006 in Paris; October 25-27, 2006
in Krakow, Poland (when OECD Headquarters are closed
for renovation); and a proposed spring meeting in May
23-25, 2007 at the newly reopened OECD conference
center in Paris.

REID