Finland To Push Environmental Issues During 6-Month EU Term - AFP

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Finland is vowing to use its upcoming six months at the European Union's helm to press the green agenda both in Europe and with neighbouring giant Russia. Helsinki, which takes over the 25-nation bloc's rotating presidency on July 1, wants to show that protecting the environment doesn't necessarily harm economic growth, and can even strengthen it.

Indeed, studies show that forest-covered Finland, which has nearly 190,000 lakes, is both one of the world's most competitive economies and a leader of sustainable development.

"We have succeeded in separating, at least partially, economic growth from environmental problems," said Environment Minister Jan-Erik Enestam, presenting his program to journalists. While green legislation is seen by many as threatening competitiveness, Finland "has benefited by developing new markets" such as recycling waste from the metal, chemical and paper industries to generate power, he said.

Enestam says a key priority is to strengthen the protection of biodiversity in the EU, and specifically to secure final accord on the bloc's so-called REACH directive controlling chemicals, with a new agency based in Helsinki. EU lawmakers struck a deal on the directive in November, striking a balance between ecologists' concerns and industry fears of extra costs, but final details still have to be hammered out.

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