EUROVOC descriptor: fund (EU) rural development common agricultural policy sustainable development EU environmental policy

19. Considers that it is crucial to take into account the right to development of the citizens of poor countries, and not merely the interests of those countries' regimes, and that poor countries must decide and lead their own development strategies and economic policies; considers that the right to industrialisation is a right of development and considers therefore that every country, and especially developing countries in which industrial development is at an early stage, has the right to regulate its industry in order to act again ...[+++]st social or environmental dumping; considers, however, that this should not lead such countries unilaterally to breach their obligations deriving from international treaties and contracts;

As already stressed concerning the problem of coherence with development policy, the current tobacco policy is not consistent with the consumer and public health policies, which are among the priorities of the EU sustainable development strategy.

Integration efforts into development co-operation, foreign and trade policies are underway, in line with the Development and General Affairs Councils' environmental integration strategies adopted respectively in 2001 and 2002.

Companies face challenging questions, including how to identify where their areas of responsibility lie as distinct from those of governments, how to monitor whether their business partners are complying with their core values, and how to approach and operate in countries where human rights violations are widespread. The European Union itself has an obligation in the framework of its Co-operation policy to ensure the respect of labour standards, environmental protection and human rights and is confronted with the challenge of ensuring a full coherence between its development policy, its trade policy and its strategy for the development o ...[+++]f the private sector in the developing countries notably through the promotion of European investments.

Companies face challenging questions, including how to identify where their areas of responsibility lie as distinct from those of governments, how to monitor whether their business partners are complying with their core values, and how to approach and operate in countries where human rights violations are widespread. The European Union itself has an obligation in the framework of its Co-operation policy to ensure the respect of labour standards, environmental protection and human rights and is confronted with the challenge of ensuring a full coherence between its development policy, its trade policy and its strategy for the development o ...[+++]f the private sector in the developing countries notably through the promotion of European investments.