EuropaWorld 23/11/2001 MARGOT WALLSTROM

EU Environment Commissioner, Margot Wallström, was born in Sweden in 1954.
Graduating from high school in 1973 she became an Ombudsman for the Swedish Social Democratic Youth League the following year. Three years later she joined the Alfa Savings Bank as an accountant. Her political activities and interest continued and in 1979 she stood as a candidate for the Social Democratic Party. Her subsequent election would be the start of a diverse national career spanning the next two decades.

Losing her parliamentary seat in 1985, Margot Wallström returned to the Alfa Savings Bank as a senior accountant. Re-elected in 1988 she was appointed Minister of Civil Affairs. This continued until 1991 when she became CEO of the Regional Television Network, TV Värmland.

In 1993 Ms Wallström became a member of the Executive Committee of the Swedish Social Democratic Party and Minister of Culture. In 1996 she took on the role of Minister for Social Affairs which she held until 1998. She retired from national politics the same year to become the Executive Vice-president of Worldview Global Media. However her absence from the political arena did not last long. She was appointed to the European Commission of Romano Prodi in 1999 and in September that year the European Parliament confirmed her as the new European Commissioner for the Environment.

In this role Commissioner Wallström has faced a number of challenges to strengthen environmental legislation and to integrate environmental considerations into other areas of EU policy. She has also been active in securing international agreements in this field, most notably the Kyoto Protocol after the US Government rejected the Treaty.

Commissioner Wallström's main task now is to ensure the implementation of Environmentally friendly policies across the EU. Climate change, the preservation of biodiversity, the links between the environment and health, and the disposal of waste are identified as four priority areas. Commissioner Wallström has been outspoken in advocating the 'mainstreaming" of environmental concerns and the active participation of all sectors of society in ensuring environmental health for future generations. Seen as a 'people-friendly' and interactive commissioner, we wait to see if her prescription of empowering people through information and inspiring them to take action, brings results