Brussels, 26/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Cypriot Presidency wanted unanimous negotiating lines for the EU for the Doha Climate Change Conference (COP18, 26 November - 7 December 2012), but this will not be possible because Poland is standing firm (see EUROPE 10717). After a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday 25 October, Cypriot farm, natural resources and environment minister Sofoclis Aletratis said that the EU27 minister had been able to agree on a document that everyone liked, but then admitted that they had not been able to move beyond a document agreed upon in March 2012 (see EUROPE 10572).
The problem comes from Poland, backed by other east European countries, which strongly defend their right to sell unused carbon dioxide emissions rights (AAU) beyond 2012, when the new Kyoto Protocol commitment period begins. Polish environment minister Marcin Korolec says limits on the right to use and sell AAU is unacceptable to Warsaw. Central European countries have accumulated a surplus of AAU and are very keen to sell them. Korolec admitted that the ministers were divided over AAU and tweeted his gratitude to Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Slovakia for their support.
Aletrasis said that there had been no progress on AAU beyond what had been agreed upon in March so the EU will now try to reach agreement at Doha itself, as set out in the negotiating mandate given to the European Commission and Cypriot Presidency.
Alongside a policy debate on ship recycling (see EUROPE 10718), EU27 ministers in Luxembourg unanimously adopted a conclusions document on the outcome and follow-up of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which is a contribution to the EU27 official position on sustainable development and reflects the EU's pledge to continue work and draw up guidelines on a number of issues to be discussed in the next few months. (OL/transl.fl)