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

The British-Irish Council Environment Group held its fifth Ministerial meeting in Cardiff, Wales 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 Belfast 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 Elliot Morley MP, Minister for the Environment and Agri-Environment, who chaired the meeting and Angela Smith, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office.  The Welsh Assembly Government was represented by Carwyn Jones AM, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside, who also hosted the meeting.  The Irish Government was represented by Pat the Cope Gallagher TD, Minister of State, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government.  The Isle of Man was represented by John Rimington, MHK,  Minister for Local Government and the Environment.  Scotland was represented by Allan Wilson MSP, Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development, Jersey by Senator Philip Ozouf and the States of Guernsey by Environment Department Minister Bernard Flouquet.

A full list of delegation members is attached.

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 discussed two further papers prepared by the UK on Sellafield related subjects, one concerning the Vitrification of Highly Active Liquid Waste and the other concerning the Storage of Plutonium, both of which are of concern to a number of Administrations.

John Roberts of Defra’s Water Directorate gave a presentation on the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (the "OSPAR Convention") and links to the preparation of the European Marine Thematic Strategy.  It was agreed that OSPAR has achieved much to tackle pollution and conserve biodiversity and that BIC(E) Members will continue to cooperate to deliver the objectives contained in the OSPAR Strategies and the European Marine Strategy.  It was further agreed that Annex V to the OSPAR Convention needs to be ratified by BIC(E) Members. 

The meeting received a progress report from the UK who would be leading the Working Group on Biodiversity.  The meeting noted with satisfaction the progress made, and agreed that the Group would start work in the Autumn and report again to the next Environment Sector meeting.  The meeting also received a presentation from Steve Atkins from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) on the results of the Irish Sea Pilot project.

In addition to a wide ranging discussion on priority areas for sustainable development, Ireland reported back on their Presidency of the European Union, including BIC(E) attendance at a sustainable development conference held in Kinsale in April.  Wales also reported back on a highly successful conference of the Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development (NRG4SD)[1] held in Cardiff in March. 

The Group welcomed and noted that the Irish Government had agreed to host the 6^th meeting of the Environment Sector.  It was agreed that among the main items for discussion at the next meeting of the Group would be Sellafield and Radioactive Waste, Integrated Coastal Zone Management and Marine Biodiversity.  The 6^th meeting would also look at progress made on Climate Change and Waste since the 4^th meeting held in Douglas, Isle of Man in October 2003.

The Group also welcomed the publication on 6 July 2004 of the first report[2] on the work of the British-Irish Council since its inception in 1999 to the end of 2003.

British-Irish Council (Environment Sectoral Group)

8 July 2004

BRITISH IRISH COUNCIL (ENVIRONMENT SECTORAL GROUP)

List of Delegates

Thursday 8 July 2004