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

The British-Irish Council Environment Group held its seventh Ministerial meeting in Guernsey, Channel Islands 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 Agreement reached in Belfast on Good Friday 1998 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 Ian Pearson MP, Minister of State for Climate Change and the Environment, who chaired the meeting and David Cairns, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office. The Irish Government was represented by Batt O’Keeffe T.D., Minister of State for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. Guernsey was represented by Deputy Bernard Flouquet Minister, Environment Department, who also hosted the meeting. The Welsh Assembly Government was represented by Carwyn Jones AM, Minister for Environment, Planning and Countryside; the Scottish Executive by Rhona Brankin, MSP, Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development; the Isle of Man by John Rimington, MHK, Minister for Local Government and the Environment and Jersey by Senator Frederick Cohen, Minister for Planning and Environment.

A full list of delegation members is attached.

The meeting considered a paper outlining a ‘Climate Change Adaptation Work Programme’ produced by the British administration supported by the other Administrations. The discussions followed those of the BIC Environment Summit held in London on 2 June where Ministers agreed to take work forward in the area of adapting to the impacts of unavoidable climate change. At the Summit, Ministers agreed to focus effort on four work streams: extreme events; indicators of adaptation to climate change; the development of adaptation frameworks; and coastal erosion and sea-level rise. The Council approved a number of concrete actions, including: participation in a workshop on improving reaction to and prediction of extreme events to be hosted by Ireland; the establishment of a working group looking at indicators of adaptation to climate change; and participation in a workshop looking at the development of national adaptation strategies to be hosted by the British Government.

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Sustainable Procurement Task Force Secretariat gave a presentation on the work of the Task Force and its National Action Plan which was launched in June 2006. The Sustainable Procurement Task Force (SPTF) was established in May 2005 under the UK Sustainable Development Strategy. The National Action Plan was delivered in June 2006 and will enable the British Government to become a leader in sustainable procurement across the EU.

The Welsh Assembly Government presented a paper on the work of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Working Group. Ministers were updated on the progress of developing ICZM national strategies. The paper covered a number of recent developments in the field. It was agreed that the ICZM Working Group should continue its useful work and produce a further progress report for the 8th BIC(E) meeting.

Ministers heard an update from the British Administration on work being undertaken in the area of Integrated Coastal Zone Management in the context of the wider UK strategy on the marine environment. The British and Irish coastlines are dynamic and hugely varied and the BIC Environment group provides a useful forum for the various Member Administrations to work together to ensure a harmonised approach to coastal management.

Ireland reiterated its concerns in relation to Sellafield and nuclear safety. The Group agreed to keep the issue of Sellafield and nuclear safety on the agenda for the next Ministerial.

The Group welcomed and noted that the 8th meeting of the Environment Group will take place in Northern Ireland.

It was agreed that among the main items for discussion at the next meeting of the Group would be Climate Change, Sellafield and Radioactive Waste; Integrated Coastal Zone Management and results of the BIC(E) work review.



British-Irish Council (Environment Sectoral Group)
26th July 2006

BRITISH IRISH COUNCIL (ENVIRONMENT SECTORAL GROUP)
List of Delegates
Wednesday 26th July 2006