Brussels, 26 mars 2010 (Agence Europe) - Disappointed at the outcome of the United Nations global climate change conference in Copenhagen (COP15), EU heads of state say that the momentum must be kept up and the Copenhagen Agreement built upon to give a new impulse to the international negotiations under the aegis of the United Nations and take advantage of the time leading up to COP16 in Cancun, Mexico, on 29 November to 10 December 2010 to build alliances with key international partners. The EU will not scale back its ambitions of achieving a legally binding world agreement to ensure the planet's temperature does not rise above 2 degrees Celsius. The EU will be maintaining its pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% on 1990 levels by 2020, and even cutting them by 30% if the other parties to the negotiations agree to make equivalent efforts. Likewise, the EU27 confirms that it is prepared to spend €2.4 billion a year, as promised, to help developing countries in 2010-2012 and will decide on the practical details of rapid funding in key areas.
In order to learn the lessons of Copenhagen, where the EU's ambitions did not have the desired effect, the EU27 says it is working on a step by step, cautious approach, as recommended by the European Commission in a recent report (see (EUROPE 10094), a report of which the European Council took note.
At a press conference, Herman Van Rompuy said the politicians had talked about the negotiations over climate change issues and had decided to stick to the EU's ambitions while aware, after Copenhagen, that they would have to work one step at a time. Stressing that the EU was united and ambitious in this domain, Van Rompuy added that he would be contacting the world's leading powers in the next few months to see how to restore confidence and move towards the goals.
The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, added that he had been in contact with major partners. EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Catherine Ashton explained that the EU was in contact with China, India and the United States. Barroso said consultations were under way that were allowing the EU to remain the leader. He welcomed the EU leaders' agreement and constructive debate about the right approach.
The two preparatory conferences in Bonn, Germany, on 7-11 April and 31 May to 11 June 2010 should include a timetable for incorporating the political guidelines set out in the Copenhagen Agreement in the various negotiating documents. While a legally binding agreement will not be reached in Cancún, the European Council hopes that COP 16 will make practical decisions to anchor the Copenhagen Agreement in United Nations negotiations and deal with outstanding issues like adjusting to climate change, forestry, technology transfer and the mechanism to follow-up, report upon and verify progress made by the various parties. Nothing new, in other words, compared with the situation before the European Council (see EUROPE 10105).
The EU27 said that the one-step-at-a-time approach they were recommending should be implemented rapidly. They added a paragraph to the conclusions document stressing the urgent need to reverse losses in biodiversity and reverse the degradation of ecosystems. The paragraph calls for a long-term vision (up until 2050) and the setting of an intermediate target for 2020 (see EUROPE 10098).
The debate about climate change was wrapped up in just one hour because it is the June 2010 European Council that will be deciding on the EU's post-Copenhagen strategy once the European Commission has provided the member states with: - a study comparing and contrasting the commitments made by countries outside the EU; - analysis of an impact study on moving from a 20% to a 30% emissions reduction target; - and also, when it's finished, a detailed report on energy-guzzling industries and sub-industries that are exposed to significant dangers of carbon losses in order, where necessary, to adopt (as set out in the EU ETS Directive on carbon trading) measures as required to protect industries from unfair competition, assuming that as at 1 January 2013 a binding global climate treaty has not been signed. During the debate, Nicolas Sarkozy was the only politician to bring the subject up, regretting that people accuse France of being protectionist. “Not at all”, replied Barroso with reason because border adjustment mechanism legislation may be brought in - the Commission is due to unveil a proposal to this end by 30 June 2010.
At a press conference, Nicolas Sarkozy said he had told his EU counterparts that France wanted the EU to maintain its planet-protection and defence of the environment ambitions but had to be realistic about it. He said that he thought everyone believed that the issue of an EU border adjustment mechanism was vital and unavoidable. José Manuel Barroso has promised to unveil draft legislation in June 2010. Sarkozy said that without taking a decision on the contents of a mechanism, Barroso had said that the question was unavoidable and no countries had disagreed. Sarkozy said that he wasn't saying that the matter had been won, but when the issue had been raised a few months ago, sparks had flown. The political victory of the Commission looking into the possibility of such a mechanism is of capital importance and the politicians would be looking in June at the whys and wherefores.
Luxembourg's prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, summarised the debate at the European summit by saying that they were sticking to their objectives and would review the whole climate change policy at the June 2010 European Council. As far as the British prime minister, Gordon Brown, was concerned, the EU has reaffirmed its leading role and it was now down to other countries to be as ambitious as the EU in order for the high (30%) ambition to be decided upon. He said that the objective remained a full global agreement and the EU was prepared to meet its funding promises for rapid implementation. He added that along with Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, he would be chairing a group on financing the fight against climate change in London on Wednesday 31 March 2010.
Donald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, was happy that the European Council had not upset the balance of the EU's position, saying that the conditional offer to cut emissions by 30% had sense for the EU and was good for countries like Poland because an unconditional 30% reduction would be dangerous.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel pointed out that a lot of work would be required to achieve the 2 degree Celsius target. (A.N./L.C./A.By/transl.fl)