Brussels, 18/11/2009 (Agence Europe) - EU27 development ministers recommend that climate concerns should be included in EU medium and long term development policy to reach not only the objectives of the future Copenhagen agreement but also the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Council conclusions on climate change and development, adopted in Brussels on Tuesday 17 November, settled the controversial issue of funding the fight against climate change in developing countries by a compromise.
Gunilla Carlsson, Council President, said “while financial support to mitigation and adaptation in developing countries will be in addition to official development aid (ODA), we have established a link with ODA given that certain member states have already met their commitments and that many of the effects of climate change are being treated by ODA. We therefore say that part of our effort to combat climate change comes within ODA. We add, however, that the fight against climate change cannot be to the detriment of the fight against poverty and progress towards MDGs”. She went on to point out that the MDGs will be discussed in spring 2010. This compromise was considered acceptable by the delegations that are most generous with ODA, and which wanted to stress the additional nature of mitigation and adaptation funding. It was also acceptable to the least generous that balked at too much precision on this point. The United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which are the keenest to defend the additional nature of funds required, were satisfied with the outcome. (A.N./transl.jl)