German minister urges 'new deal' on economy, environment and jobs[fr][de] 

The social-democrat (SPD) minister addressed the challenge of Germany's global competitiveness in the context of globalisation and the growing struggle for natural resources. "World war for prosperity" or an economical and ecological development model which can be globalised for all is, for Gabriel, the choice to be made.

The German minister demanded an "intelligent" environmental policy underpinned by innovation. "We need a "new progress" based on an "efficiency revolution", Gabriel said. Investing heavily in new technologies and a real ecological industry policy are what the German minister advocates because "the markets of the future are green".

As Germany is one of the world's front-runners in the development of environmental technologies, Gabriel sees his country's role in the world economy as the main exporter of green technologies. He proposes the establisment of a green industry cabinet to promote the export of those technologies.

Germany will take over the EU's Presidency on 1 January 2007. The promotion of environmental technologies (via ETAP, the Environmental Technologies Action Plan ) is one of the EU's flagships to balance economic growth and sustainable development.