Brussels, 20/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - No formal decision is expected from the Environment Council to meet in Brussels on Thursday 21 March under the chairmanship of Phil Hogan, Irish Minister for the Environment, and Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. This session will be dominated by political debates. Janez Potocnik, European Commissioner for the Environment, and Connie Hedegaard, Commissioner for Climate Action, will represent the European Commission.
Bio-fuels and land-use change (ILUC). The Council will hold a policy debate on the draft directive aiming to take account of the impact of indirect land use change on greenhouse gas emissions arising from the production of bio-fuels (amendment of Directives 2009/28/EC on renewables and 1998/70/EC on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels) to reduce CO2 emissions and encourage a move towards second-generation biofuels. The questions to be put to the ministers will be a strict response to the questionnaire to which the Energy Council of 22 February responded (see EUROPE 10792). They will be asked to state whether this future legislation appears to them able adequately to satisfy the objectives it pursues, and whether it is able to make a contribution to achieving the existing objectives of the Energy/Climate package.
Access to genetic resources. The Council will hold a public debate on the draft regulation on access to genetic resources and a fair and equitable sharing of the advantages deriving from their use within the EU to implement the Nagoya Protocol and to ratify this international treaty.
REACH. The Council will hold an exchange of views on the re-examination of the REACH regulation (registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemical substances). The debate will focus on the possible inclusion of nanomaterials and on the positive conclusions of the Commission, which is satisfied with the way the regulation has worked.
Environmental impact assessments. The Council will hold an initial discussion on the draft revision of Directive 2011/92/EU with the aim of improving its administrative procedures.
ETS aviation. The ministers will take stock regarding the proposal to stop the clock of the ETS as applied to intercontinental flights for one year, in order to promote an agreement at ICAO. On Wednesday 20 March, Coreper enshrined the informal agreement reached on 12 March in trialogue. (AN/transl.fl).