The Minister for Transport, Energy and Communication, Moritz Leuenberger, has set out his policies until 2003.A 33-page document produced by the Ministry says that the central plank of his programme is the principle of sustainable development.

The Minister for Transport, Energy and Communication, Moritz Leuenberger, has set out his policies until 2003.

A 33-page document produced by the Ministry says that the central plank of his programme is the principle of sustainable development. Defining this, the document says that development is only sustainable if it meets current needs without harming the chances of future generations to meet theirs.

Ministry officials say there is nothing new in this concept. After all, in 1997 the government identified sustainable development as its main policy objective. What is new is the way it has been applied to the Ministry’s day-to-day tasks.

The document outlines the Ministry's policies in the three key areas. The priority of environmental policy is prevention. To prevent pollution, those who pollute will be made to pay. Similarly, steps will be taken to prevent disasters, whether natural or man-made.

The Ministry will try to ensure Switzerland’s economic competitiveness by providing modern infrastructure. And it will strive to maintain public service of a high quality. The policy blueprint underlines that all citizens and all regions have the right to efficient and fairly priced public transport, energy and postal and telecommunication services.

Leuenberger knows he is setting his Ministry tough goals. In a preamble to the document, he admits that it is not always easy to meet the conditions for sustainable development. Leuenberger says that it is often difficult to know how to resolve conflicts of interest between ecological imperatives, economic needs and public service.

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