Margot Wallstrom Quotations

Negotiation seems like dancing the Tango, two steps forward, two steps back and suddenly three surprising steps forward,

Plan D is about debate, dialogue and listening. It is a means of harnessing political ideas to generate change,

We have not been efficient enough in communicating the EU. We have not invested enough in listening,

We have finalised the rescue operation. We have rescued the Kyoto protocol. It is a major achievement because we live with this for many years to come,

This web site is our invitation to you to discuss with us your ideas, hopes and worries for Europe's future.

an historic moment for global efforts to combat climate change.

It is very difficult to see how it can be brought to life, so it will remain on the backburner,

If we want to have the support of European citizens we have to engage with them, but we also need leadership and that's something we're lacking,

I often hear people say that they have lost confidence in the European Union because they feel that it has taken on too many responsibilities and has become very complex and difficult to understand.

The commission is very engaged in the question of public access to documents and we have started an overview of the regulation.

The Japanese have indicated that despite the fact that they share the Kyoto targets and they want the protocol enforced by 2002, they are not, at present, willing to conclude the deal without the U.S.

In 1966 Rolf Edberg wrote "This is mankind's home", "in the narrow borderland between the deathly heat beneath our feet and the coldness of space above us". He describes the fragility of our existence in poetic terms: "the atmospheric layer is so thin that it cannot be represented on any globe with even the finest brushstroke. At its thickest, it is only a few fractions of a millionth of the Earth's radius. This thin layer is what makes the difference between our planet and the sterile landscape of the moon." After reading that, one does feel the need to take better care of this fragile layer.

There can be no sustainable development without sustainable energy development

Kyoto protocol is not a simple environmental issue, where you can say scientists are not unanimous. This is about international relations, this is about the economy, about trying to create a level playing field for big businesses throughout the world. You have to understand what is at stake, and that is why it is serious,...

As long as nuclear weapons exist, there is a risk that they will be used. And the consequences of their use would be catastrophic. This realization has led to increased engagement, not least through the humanitarian initiative. We must now use this broad engagement to garner support and to push for real results in the disarmament field.

It's important in our talks with Abbas to hear how women are represented in peace negotiations, how Palestine views the position of women and how resources are distributed.

The EU lacks a story. For previous generations, the peace argument was a sufficient. But what story do I tell my 20-year-old son? How do I explain to him that we need the EU for the future?

If you want a more democratic EU, communication has to be among its core tasks. There should be a legal foundation for it: Fifty years after the founding of the European project, communication belongs in the constitution.

Israel has been extremely aggressive, they have continued with their settlement policies, they have continued demolitions, they have continued with their occupation policies which entail a humiliation of Palestinians, which makes the (peace) process difficult.