Brussels, 11/03/2011 (Agence Europe) - Once again, GMOs promise to be the hottest potato on the European Council agenda on 14 March, in Brussels. The Council will be chaired by Sandor Fazekas, the Hungarian minister for rural development and the environment, and Tamas Fellegi, his counterpart at the department of national development. The Presidency hopes that the debate on the proposal to allow member states the possibility of restricting or authorising cultivation on their territory of GMOs, which have been authorised at a European level, ought to enable a clearer view to be obtained on member states' positions on a complex dossier of which the legal aspects are creating a real headache. Climate change will be discussed on several occasions, particularly at the working lunch focusing on an exchange of views on “a low carbon economy” and international green growth. Achim Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), will be taking part in this exchange.
The political agreement sought on the proposal for recasting the directive on Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), the conclusions on the EU's revised strategy for eradicating mercury, and the follow-up on the Cancun climate conference are the only formal decisions expected from the session. The environmental aspects of common agricultural policy reform and the European semester will also be the subjects of an exchange of views. Janez Potocnik, the European commissioner and his colleague for climate action, Connie Hedegaard, will represent the European Commission. The work programme is as follows:
Waste electric and electronic equipment. The Council will attempt to obtain a political agreement to open the way for a second reading on the proposal for recasting Directive 2002/96. This will involve removing the final difficulties on whether there should be open or closed scope for the directive (United Kingdom and Italy want this scope to be closed, whilst France, Belgium and the Scandinavian countries want a more ambitious option), collection rates (65%, but over how many years? New member states are concerned) and the distinction between household and industrial equipment. The European Parliament submitted its opinion in a first reading on 3 February (EUROPE 10282).
Limitation of GMO cultivation. The Council will examine the list of potentially incontrovertible arguments for exercising their freedom of choice, together with legal certainty required on GMOs at the European Court of Justice (EUROPE 10314). They will be invited to answer the following questions: - What possible reason could be used for banning or restricting the growth of GMOs (ethical reasons among the public, public order, the necessity of preventing GMOs contaminating other products, social policy objectives, regional planning, use of soils, cultural policy, general environmental objectives other than the evaluation of damaging effects on the environment, agronomic or phytosanitary impact or health questions)? - What other possible reasons could be proposed for adding other reasons to the list provided by the Commission?
Member state positions are still divided (a division between supporters of freedom of choice, such as Austria and Hungary, which support the proposal, and steadfast opponents of this proposal, such as Germany. France, which insisted on implementation of Environmental Council conclusions of 2008 being a prerequisite, does not consider that we are currently in a position to be able to bridge this division and meet the demands formulated by the EU27). The divergences between the legal opinions, which do not provide clear orientations on the Commission proposal, also contribute to the complexity of the dossier. Everyone would like to have reliable and effective legislation. The Hungarian Presidency is hoping to be able to develop clarity on what road ahead is to be followed for this legislation to remain viable.
Mercury. The Council will adopt conclusions on the re-examination of the EU strategy on mercury, just before the ban on mercury exports comes into force in the EU on 15 March. The Council is expected to call on the Commission to speed up examination of dental amalgams and examine the question of mercury-based button cell batteries and assess whether other measures are necessary. Denmark, Sweden and Belgium would like new legislation to speed up the gradual elimination of this heavy metal and allow the EU to be the spear head introducing a total ban on mercury.
CAP's 2020 horizon. The Council will examine environmental aspects linked to the CAP: how could the CAP help towards providing specific environmental services, in respect of specific requirements in this domain, as well as the accomplishment of climate promotion measures? How can the system for subsidising the CAP be developed so that the main environmental policy objectives are achieved? The European Council will adopt conclusions on 17 March next.
Climate. The subject will be discussed on four different occasions: (1) during the working lunch ministers will hold an exchange of views on the international aspects of developing a low carbon economy, in light of the “global opportunities for greener growth”, which Achim Steiner from UNEP will present; (2) ministers will adopt conclusions on the follow-up to the world climate conference in Cancun (COP 16) but will not yet give their verdict on the pending question of the Kyoto Protocol's future. They will wait until October to do this; (3) the Council will listen to a speech by Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, who will present a roadmap for a low carbon economy up to 2050 which was adopted by the Commission on 8 March last (EUROPE 10331); (4) the Council will informally examine the level of security for national online carbon emissions trading registers, which are supposed to be reopened on 14 March, following the emissions quotas theft incident.
European semester. On the basis of the annual report on growth and as part of the contribution to the spring summit, the Council will hold an exchange of views on certain aspects of the European semester. Ministers will be invited to answer the following questions: - What is your analysis of the declarations on climate warming and the environment in the framework of the annual examination of growth for 2011? How can the EU's objectives and goals on climate change be reached, given the assessment contained in a report on EUROPE 2020 strategy progress? What are the most urgent measures that should be adopted in the area of climate change and the environment and on what should the spring European Council focus? (A.N./transl.fl)