OSCE Permanent Council No. 1494 Vienna, 31 October 2024

1. The European Union warmly welcomes the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA), Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov, to the Permanent Council, and thanks him for his report. We express our support for the important work done by the OCEEA and his team. We will continue to engage in economic and environmental cooperation for enhancing security, confidence-building, and conflict prevention in the OSCE region, in line with OSCE values and international commitments.
2. In this regard, we welcome the adoption of the PC Decision on the 31^st Economic and Environmental Forum, as well as the decision on the EEDIM 2024. We stress the importance of mandated events taking place across all three dimensions, and reiterate our regret that the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting could not take place in its mandated format again this year. In this regard, we reiterate our support for the efforts of the Maltese Chairpersonship.
3. We reiterate our deep concern over the widespread devastation to the environment and economy caused by Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and beyond, including the Black Sea region. This includes the sustained damage to farmlands, water supply and sewage systems, along with the long-lasting harm to valuable ecosystems, biodiversity and marine sites. Russia‘s relentless targeting of civilians and critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including agricultural and energy facilities, and port infrastructure, blatantly violates fundamental provisions of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The EU and its Member States remain committed to addressing global food security, which is threatened by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, including through the “Grain from Ukraine” programme and EU-Ukraine “Solidarity Lanes”.
4. We welcome all efforts within the OSCE to assist Ukrainian authorities and citizens in minimising economic and environmental threats to security, in coordination with other international partners. We underline the need to assess the damage and are committed to addressing it in the context of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. Russia and its leadership must and will be held accountable for all crimes committed and the massive destruction caused by its war of aggression against Ukraine. Ongoing monitoring and frequent reassessments remain imperative. The EU and Member States therefore welcome OCEEA’s ongoing efforts on continuing the implementation of the ExB Project “Assessing the environmental impacts of the war against Ukraine and options for remediation”, and relevant initiatives by the Support Programme for Ukraine. We will continue to support this important work and the implementation of the recommendations.
5. The impact of climate change continues to intensify globally, putting lives and livelihoods at risk, while threatening critical infrastructure, food supply chains, and other essential national security systems. Climate change proves to be a risk multiplier and its impacts are multifaceted, affecting different regions in diverse ways. Rising temperatures and sea levels, prolonged droughts, devastating wildfires, climate-induced displacement, and restricted access to already scarce water supplies drive instability and  negatively impact prosperity, stability and security in the OSCE region and worldwide. The OSCE provides a valuable platform for practice-oriented cooperation and political dialogue, bringing together different actors to enhance security and climate resilience. We welcome initiatives that address the linkages between climate and security and congratulate the OCEEA on its ongoing activities in different OSCE sub-regions, including consultations, trainings, awareness-raising on strengthening cooperation to address the security challenges caused by climate change, including the “Strengthening Responses to Security Risks from Climate Change in South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia” and the “Mitigating Climate Change Threats to the Energy Sector in the OSCE Region” projects. We fully support the importance you have placed on addressing climate security in line with the 2021 Stockholm Ministerial Decision.
6. We further welcome your focus on combating corruption and money laundering as well as illegal activities with the use of virtual assets, thus supporting the Republic of Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine. We need to act decisively to mitigate security risks related to cyber activities.
7. We commend the Office’s continued implementation of the ExB project “Strengthening Energy Sector Co-operation and Analysis in Central Asia in the Context of Afghanistan’s Energy Crisis” under the RIAOR framework. The OSCE and the OCEEA, in cooperation with our Central Asian partners, can make a valuable contribution to the long-term stability and prosperity of the region.
8. We also welcome the Office’s intention to develop a new extra-budgetary connectivity project for the Central Asia and South Caucasus regions and beyond, building on the project “Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity”, which addressed the safety and sustainability of supply chains between Central Asia and Europe. Additionally, we applaud your commitment to gender equality and the integration of a gender perspective in key projects addressing connectivity, energy and water sectors. OCEEA’s flagship project on “Empowering Central Asian Women in Renewable Energy” is an excellent example of this. The EU remains fully committed to the economic empowerment of women and youth in societies, and to integrating a gender perspective in all OSCE activities-an essential component of comprehensive security.
9. In conclusion, we would like to reiterate our appreciation for the important work done by the OCEEA. The EU remains committed to supporting your efforts and, in light of common threats to security, we are more determined than ever to advance the work of the second dimension to achieve comprehensive security. We look forward to continuing our excellent cooperation.

The Candidate Countries NORTH MACEDONIA*, MONTENEGRO*, ALBANIA*, UKRAINE, the REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA and BOSNIA and HERZEGOVINA*, the EFTA countries ICELAND and LIECHTENSTEIN, members of the European Economic Area, as well as ANDORRA and SAN MARINO align themselves with this statement.

* North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.