US embassy cable - 05PARIS5154

UNCLAS PARIS 005154 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FROM USOECD 
 
STATE FOR EUR/ERA 
EPA FOR OIA/JAYRES AND JMORANT 
EPA FOR OAR/KMASON 
STATE FOR OES/CARTUSIO AND ABEDNAREK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV, ETRD, KSCA, FR, OECD 
SUBJECT: OECD REPORTING: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY COMMITTEE 
TASK FORCE ON STRATEGIC VISION, JUNE 29-30, PARIS, 
FRANCE 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  An ad hoc group of delegates of the OECD 
Environment Policy Committee (EPOC) met on June 29-30, 
2005 to consider the components of a strategic vision 
for the environment.  The purpose of the strategic 
vision is to increase support for the EPOC's work, to 
provide longer-term (5-10 years) strategic guidance for 
EPOC delegates, to clarify processes/activities, and to 
enhance and increase the communication of key 
environmental messages. END SUMMARY. 
 
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ATTENDEES 
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2.  Representatives from the United States, Australia, 
Canada, the Netherlands, Italy, and Japan (former or 
current Bureau members), as well as the Director, 
Deputy Director, Division Directors and staff of the 
Environment Directorate attended the meeting.  Mats 
Olsson, Deputy Director General of the Swedish 
Environmental Protection Agency, who is also the 
Chairman of the EPOC, chaired the meeting.  The meeting 
was an informal airing of views and opinions, leading 
to a more detailed and expanded presentation for future 
consideration by the larger EPOC committee and others. 
 
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STRATEGIC VISION EXCERSISE 
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3.  The meeting included discussion of a background 
paper, drafted by the Australian delegate, to summarize 
the mandate, communications objectives and possible 
draft structure for the strategic vision.  The paper 
also set forth some key challenges confronting the 
environment functions at the OECD, such as changes in 
global environmental governance, enlargement of the 
membership of the OECD, shrinking budgets, large number 
of disaggregated small activities, relationship between 
EPOC and other organizational entities, and competing 
demands on the environment program.  There was also 
discussion of the "value-added" dimension of OECD. 
Attendees generally viewed the OECD's intergovernmental 
focus, its economics strength, the multi-disciplinary 
(sectoral or cross-media) aspects and its attention to 
selected working methods (e.g. peer reviews, policy 
analysis, data/indicators, etc) as strong points. 
 
4.  Each attendee was asked to list strengths, 
weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) with 
respect to the OECD.  This SWOT analysis consumed a 
great deal of time, with each delegate offering a view 
of key areas where OECD could be more influential or 
provide additional strength to OECD or member nation 
policy thrusts. 
 
5.  In addition, OECD Secretariat staff worked within 
the ad hoc group to identify the main elements of a 
strategic vision.  These elements include: 
A) a statement on the benefits of OECD work on the 
environment, 
B) key priorities over the short and long term (move 
forward on the environmental strategy mandated by the 
Environment Ministers), 
C) identification of tools and priority work to 
implement the strategy, and 
D) development of better ways to communicate existing 
and planned work. 
 
6. The OECD Secretariat will prepare a revised draft 
strategic vision keyed to elaboration of the Australian 
paper and any additional points brought forward during 
the ad hoc session.  The Secretariat will then issue 
the revision in September for comments via an 
electronic discussion group, have further discussion of 
the issues in November at the extended Bureau meeting 
of November 9-10, present a revised version at the 
March 2006 EPOC meeting and use it to prepare the 2007- 
2008 Program of Work and Budget for the environment. 
MORELLA