Third Meeting Of
 The British- Irish Council
 (Environment Sectoral Group)

The British-Irish Council Environment Group held its third Ministerial meeting in London today. The meeting was part of an ongoing series of meetings within the British-Irish Council (BIC) since the first Summit of 17 December 1999, which identified the environment as one of the issues for discussion.

The British-Irish Council was established under the Strand Three Provisions of the Good Friday Agreement as a forum for its members to exchange information, discuss, consult, and use best endeavours to reach agreement on co-operation on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the relevant Administrations.

The British Government was represented by Mr. Michael Meacher MP, Minister for the Environment, who hosted and chaired the meeting. The Irish Government was represented by Mr. Martin Cullen TD, Minister for the Environment and Local Government. The Welsh Assembly Government was represented by Mrs. Sue Essex AM, Minister for the Environment. The Scottish Executive was represented by Mike Foulis. The Isle of Man was represented by Hon Pamela M Crowe MHK, Minister for Local Government and the Environment; Jersey by Deputy Maurice Dubras, President of the Environment and Public Services Committee of the States of Jersey; States of Guernsey was represented by Deputy Mike Best, Vice President of the Board of Administration.

A full list of delegation members is attached.

The Group received a progress report from the sub-group on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation. The meeting noted with satisfaction the progress made, and agreed that the sub-group would continue its work and report again to the next Environment Group meeting.


The Group received a presentation from Mike Foulis, Head of the Environment Group on Waste Management issues based on a progress report prepared by the Waste Management Working Group, for which the Scottish Executive is the lead administration. A discussion took place after the presentation, where it was agreed that the work done already by the Working Group had re-emphasised the importance of this subject. They also agreed that good progress was being made by the Working Group in identifying areas of common interest to Members of the Group and in making arrangements for sharing best practice. The Group noted that further work was planned by the Working Group and that it hoped to be in a position to give a more detailed presentation to the next meeting.

The meeting received a revised draft discussion paper on Sellafield and Radioactive Waste submitted by Ireland and the Isle of Man. Although consideration of this paper was deferred, the meeting agreed that the issue of Sellafield and Radioactive Waste was an area of concern to a number of Members of the Group, who would wish it to remain on the agenda. The meeting also agreed that papers on two other Sellafield related topics would be prepared for the next meeting of the group.

The Group also noted the importance of the recent World Summit on Sustainable Development and had an exchange of views on possible areas of interest to the Group in the context of follow-up to the Summit. The Group agreed to set up an official level working group to consider what action, if any, might be appropriate and to report to the next meeting of the Group.

The Group welcomed and noted that the Government of the Isle of Man would host the next meeting of the Group and that the Welsh Assembly Government and the Irish Government had also offered to host future meetings.

It was agreed that among the main items for discussion at the next meeting of the Group would be Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, Waste Management, Sellafield and Radioactive Waste and Follow -Up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development.



British-Irish Council (Environment Sectoral Group)
16 January 2003.
 

British-Irish Council (Environment Sectoral Group)
List of Delegates
16 January 2003.