Remarks by The Honorable Tommy G. Thompson, Governor of Wisconsin
At the signing of The Wisconsin-Bavaria Regulatory Reform Working Partnership
Munich, Germany
1 December 1998

Minister Schnappauf, Dr. Schellhorn, Counsel General Glass, ladies and gentlemen:

Thank you for your introductions and your presence at this important event. The State of Wisconsin is grateful to the Ministry, the Quandt Foundation and the Office of Counsel General.

Today, two respected trans-Atlantic states combine their resources and energies to move into the future on a topic of great, long term significance: The protection of the environment and sustained economic prosperity.

Each item of this agreement points to that goal and I am pleased that this partnership provides many opportunities for cooperation among business, government and community interests. By working together we can, and we will, achieve for our environment and for our economies what no person...no company ... or no sector could do alone.

Three major points distinguish this effort:

• First, together we will prove the value of taking personal environmental responsibility. This is not something that government should do alone. The environment is everyone's job and it's government's job to help others do what's right.
• Second, together we will prove that it makes greater sense to adopt an integrated, systems approach to environmental protection than the piecemeal approach of the past. In addition, by verifying compliance to environmental laws and performance to environmental goals, we will show the skeptics that we have a better, more efficient way.
• Third, together we will prove the logic of the phase "think ecologically and act economically." We will show that sound business practices can, and often must, be used to achieve-verified and credible environmental results, especially in addressing problems that cannot be regulated.

We all know of the worldwide search for better ways to achieve sustaining economic and environmental progress. It is time to test the ideas and bring the innovations to reality.

Just as it did 100 years ago, the mantel of government leadership for the next century today falls to Germany and Wisconsin. That is why I am especially proud to sign this agreement. Indeed, this agreement is a commitment to results and a contract with the future.

With the leadership of Minister Schnappauf and the Bavarian Ministry, Secretary George Meyer and the Wisconsin DNR and involvement of trans-Atlantic business, municipal, professional, academic, and citizen interests, we will achieve successes this generation will enjoy and history will record.

In closing, I wish to acknowledge the professional and dedicated efforts of the staff. My appreciation to Dr. Matthias Weigand from the Ministry, Marina Podonsky from HQS and Suzanne Dickerson from BMW. My thanks to them and the People of Bavaria for this Working Partnership.