The 124^th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union

Panama City, 15-20 April 2011

 

Second Standing Committee on

Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade

 

 

 

  

The Role of Parliaments in Ensuring Sustainable Development Through the

Management of Natural Resources, Agricultural, Production and Democratic Change

 

 

 

                                         Ionel PALĂR

                                            Member of Romanian Parliament

                                                Chamber of Deputies

                                               Romanian IPU Group

 

 

 

Dear Mr. President,

Dear colleagues,

 

 

 

Thank you for the opportunity to take the floor

 

The concept of sustainable development crystallized in time, over decades, in the framework of in-depth international scientific debates and received concrete political meanings in the context of globalization.

 

The National Sustainable Development Strategy of Romania 2013-2020-2030 offers either the general plans and thematic or sector-specific programmes in accordance with the common objectives outlined in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy and the Lisbon Strategy, while following the methodological guidelines of the European Commission.

 

This Strategy sets specific objectives for moving, within a reasonable and realistic framework, toward a new model of development that is capable of generating high value added, is motivated by interest in knowledge and innovation, and is aimed at continued improvement of the quality of life and human relationships in harmony with the natural environment.

 

The Romanian objectives on short, medium and long time are: Horizon 2013: To incorporate the principles and practices of sustainable development in all the programmes and public policies of Romania as an EU Member State. Horizon 2020: To reach the current average level of the EU countries for the main indicators of sustainable development. Horizon 2030: To get significantly close to the average performance of the EU Member States in that year in terms of sustainable development indicators.

 

This Sustainable Development Strategy sets the main guidelines for action towards the adoption and implementation of the principles of sustainable development in the immediate future, namely:

 

	- Rational correlation of development goals, including cross-sector and regional investment programmes, with the established potential and sustaining capacity of natural capital;
	- Accelerated modernisation of the educational, training and public health systems with due consideration of the unfavourable demographic trends and their impact on the labour market;
	- Use of the best available technologies, by both economic and ecological standards, for publicly funded investments at national, regional and local levels, and encouraging the choice of such technologies on the part of private investors; entrenchment of eco-efficiency standards in all production and service activities;
	- The ability to anticipate the effects of climate change, to prepare solutions for adaptation in the long run and to develop cross-sector contingency plans comprising portfolios of alternative crisis-management solutions in case of natural or man-made disasters;
	- Ensuring food security and safety by turning to good account Romania’s comparative advantages with regard to increased agricultural production, including organic farming; balancing the quantitative and qualitative growth of agricultural output for human and animal consumption with the higher demand for biofuel production without compromising the need to maintain and improve soil fertility, biodiversity and environmental protection;
	- The need to identify additional, sustainable financial resources for large-scale projects and programmes, particularly in areas such as infrastructure, energy, environmental protection, food safety, education, healthcare and social services;
	- Efforts to meet the European norms and standards on the quality of life should be pursued together with the revival of traditional occupations and ways of life in a modern setting, especially in high  areas and wetlands.

        

Thank you for your attention.