G7/G8 Summit in Genoa on 20/22 July 2001

European Parliament Plenary Session, Strasbourg

05 July 2001

At the suggestion of the Italian G8 Presidency, the forthcoming summit in Genoa will focus on the one hand on global development issues, and on the other hand on some key related areas of concern such as the environment and food safety. The Commission fully supports this focus for the summit. Indeed, it is the G8 leaders' intention that Genoa should send a strong signal that the G8 countries are taking the concerns of their own citizens seriously, as well as those of the developing world.

Following on from Okinawa last year, the G8 will be looking at development issues in a much more serious fashion. From the Commission's point of view, the Summit needs to address the following key questions in this area:

 

• First the fight against communicable diseases. The EU has taken a strong lead. The Action Plan on fighting communicable diseases was adopted by the Council earlier this year. Following UNSG Kofi Annan's call for the establishment of a global health fund which was endorsed by the UN General Assembly last week, it is expected that G8 members will provide their political and financial backing for the proposed fund. Mr Annan's presence in Genoa - to take part in a so-called outreach meeting between the G8 and other leaders - will help focus attention on the global health fund issue. Many issues remain, and we must make sure that the Fund's focus and management is in line with the objectives of the EU action plan. But a strong signal of EU support in this area will be both natural and expected in Genova.

   

• Second, the issue of third world debt. The G8 took an early lead on HIPC and we should now seek to go further. President Prodi and Prime Minister Verhofstadt will refer to the Council decision in May this year calling for the total alleviation of all remaining special loans granted to the least developed countries under the First , Second and Third Lomé Conventions.

   

• Third, market access for the least developed countries. We strongly support the efforts of the Italian G8 Presidency to broaden the debate on poverty reduction beyond debt relief. In particular, the links between poverty reduction and trade should be highlighted. In this context, the "Everything but arms" initiative will be mentioned and the Commission will insist that other G8 members follow suit by providing duty free and quota free access for all products originating from least developed countries.

Turning now to the environment, G8 leaders will have a discussion on climate change. This will be President Bush's first G8 Summit. The European Commission will be keen, as will no doubt the other European participants, to discuss our concerns about the US's present stance on climate change and on the ratification of the Kyoto protocol. We will work to ensure that the Communiqué makes a clear reference to the scientific evidence to back up the urgency of international measures to mitigate climate change. Of course we, for our part, will re-iterate our determination to press ahead with ratification of the Kyoto Protocol and our hope that the reconvened 6^th Conference of the Parties to the Climate Change Convention (COP6-bis), scheduled for Bonn can find a means which allows the United States to stick with the process.

As regards Food Safety the Commission is keen that the G8 conclusions include reference to the precautionary principle. We remain committed to making systems responsive to the growing public awareness of food safety issues, the potential risks associated with food, the accelerating pace of developments in biotechnology.

These are, of course, not the only issues on the agenda of the three-day meeting. Beyond the principal themes of development, environment and food safety, there will be a discussion on regional issues, focussing on the Middle East and the Balkans (FYROM) as well as on conflicts in Africa.

As usual, the G8 Summit will also be preceded by a G7 session (without Russia) where the main topics of discussion will be: the world economy including oil prices and financial architecture. Prime Minister Koizumi will announce his plan for structural reforms in the run-up to the elections in Japan. Leaders will also discuss Trade, with the aim of sending a message on the launch of a new Round at the 4^th WTO Ministerial in Doha (9-13 November). .

Also in the context of the G7, nuclear safety issues will be discussed in relation to both the situation in Russia which will be discussed and to the need to maintain loan commitments to the Ukraine following the closure of the Chernobyl plant for the construction of the K2/R4 reactors there.

It has become G8 practice to arrange an "outreach meeting" with some heads of state and government from developing countries. In this vein the Italian hosts have invited leaders from South Africa, Nigeria, Mali, Algeria, Bangladesh and El Salvador to attend a working session and a dinner which should focus mainly on the poverty reduction strategy and the global health fund. As I said earlier, this part of the summit will also be attended by the UN Secretary General as well as by the President of the World Bank and the heads of the World Trade Organisation, World Health Organisation, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. .

The G8 is not an organisation or an institution, it is not based on a treaty and does not have a secretariat. The Group of Eight is an annual gathering of democratically elected leaders of the leading nations of the world. The European Commission is invited to participate, not least in view of its trade and other responsibilities on behalf of the Union. As in the past, President Prodi intends to make full use of this opportunity to convey the views and positions of the Union.

But it is not enough that world leaders meet and discuss these issues between themselves. They must listen to the concerns of third countries and civil society and enter into dialogue with them. That is why the G8 is increasingly organising side events and meetings with third countries and civil society alongside the Summit. I have already mentioned the outreach meetings with other leaders. The Japanese last year added an NGO centre in Okinawa. The Italians continue this year with a number of meetings that have already taken place and others set to take place on the eve of the Summit.

The Commission has extensive experience in its own relations and consultations with civil society and has been keen to share its knowledge with G8 members. We hope this kind of opening to all stakeholders will continue and indeed be developed further.