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Lucerne Conference

Second Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe"

28 - 30 April 1993

Lucerne

The Second Ministerial Conference "Environment for Europe" was held in Lucerne (Switzerland), in April 1993. It brought together Ministers and senior officials from 45 European countries and from Canada, Israel, Japan and the United States, together with the European Commissioner for Environment, and other international organizations' representatives.

The Declaration (EnFrRu) adopted by the Ministers on 30 April 1993 set out the political dimension of what the Conference called the "Environment for Europe" process, which aimed at harmonizing environmental quality and policies on the continent, and to secure its peace, stability and sustainable development.

The Lucerne Conference also endorsed the broad strategy contained in the Environmental Action Programme for Central and Eastern Europe (EAP) and set up a Task Force to implement the Programme. The Work Programme of the Task Force consists of four core activities: helping all central and eastern European countries to develop their own national environmental action plans (NEAPs); running training programmes; involving the private sector; and improving the management of priority conservation areas. Furthermore the Conference decided to establish a Project Preparation Committee to focus on environmental investments as a networking mechanism to improve coordination between international financial institutions and donors wanting to invest in environmental protection in central and eastern Europe.

The Lucerne Conference also endorsed the ECE report on Elements for a Long-term Environmental Programme for Europe. This identified seven elements as important policy tools for attaining common high standards, technology cooperation; integrated pollution prevention and control; economic instruments; national environmental performance reviews; environmental information; public participation; and international legal instruments.

Furthermore, the Conference endorsed the Report on International Legal Instruments of 2nd April 1993. This report called for effective monitoring as well as improvement of the implementation of, and compliance with, international legal instruments in the field of environment.

Finally, the Lucerne Conference welcomed the initiative of the Council of Europe to declare 1995 European Nature Conservation Year.