Brussels, 17/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - A greener Europe to help to resolve the financial and climate crises is one of the priorities of the Danish Presidency (see EUROPE 10524). This is also the overall theme of the informal Environment Council to which Ida Auken, Danish Minister for the Environment, and Martin Lidegaard, Danish Minister for the Climate, Energy and Building, have convened the environment ministers of the EU27 on 18-19 April in Horsens (Denmark). Connie Hedegaard, EU Climate Action Commissioner, and Janez Potocnik, EU Environment Commissioner, will represent the European Commission.
Seventh EEAP. The ministers will hold an exchange of views on the future seventh environmental action programme, for which the Commission has just launched a public consultation to feed into the proposals expected by the end of the year (see EUROPE 10586). The Presidency hopes to reach an agreement on the principles which will govern the programme, which is designed to “guarantee the EU a green transition for the next 10 years”, stresses Auken, referring amongst other things to the need to “recycle and reuse resources more”, “make green production and sustainable products a far better option for industry” and “limit harmful chemical products further”.
RIO +20. The EU27 will also debate the UN conference on sustainable development Rio + 20 (20-22 June) and the resources for an ambitious contribution by the EU to allow this conference, which will mark the anniversary of the Earth Summit, to lead to a roadmap for the green economy, to ensure a global green transition combining growth with the sustainable use of natural resources.
ETS. Over a working lunch, the ministers will hold an exchange of views on the necessary reform of the EU's emissions quotas trading system (ETS), the effectiveness of which is being undermined by carbon prices which are far too low to be able to serve as an incentive for green investments (see EUROPE 10588 and 10564). In order to carry out this reform, the Commission may present a proposal by the end of the year. “We need to prepare a proposal”, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger indicated on Monday 16 April at a conference on wind power in Copenhagen. (AN/transl.fl)