European strategy for sustainable, competitive and secure energy. Green Paper

The Council agreed on the review of the EU sustainable development strategy (SDS) with a view to its adoption by the European Council at its meeting on 15-16 June 2006.

The document sets out a single strategy on how the EU will more effectively live up to its longstanding commitment in meeting the challenges of sustainable development. It reaffirms the need for global solidarity and recognises the importance of strengthening work with partners outside the EU.

The overall aim of the renewed EU SDS is to identify and develop actions to enable the EU to achieve continuous improvement of the quality of life for current and for future generations, through the creation of sustainable communities able to manage and use resources efficiently and to tap the ecological and social innovation potential of the economy, ensuring prosperity, environmental protection and social cohesion.

The strategy focuses on seven priority areas for action: climate change and clean energy; sustainable transport; sustainable consumption and production; conservation and management of natural resources; public health; social inclusion, demography and migration; and global poverty and sustainable development challenges.