Dublin, 23/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - EU environment ministers meeting in Dublin at the informal Council welcomed the opportunity provided to them by the Irish Presidency of the EU Council to hold, on Tuesday 23 April, a first exchange of views on the concept of a future, legally binding agreement on climate, to be finalised in 2015 before taking effect in 2020. Ministers welcomed the Commission's communication on the international climate talks, presented on 26 March to launch the public debate on this subject (see EUROPE 10815).
With just a few days to go before the preparatory UN negotiating session (Bonn, from 29 April to 3 May) on the scope, structure and design of the 20th global climate agreement, the ministers discussed the best ways to work successfully with other parties and stakeholders to maximise ambition and participation in the new global agreement, and to work collectively to mobilise political engagement and interaction both internally and with other negotiating parties, in order to build momentum towards concluding the agreement by the 2015 target date.
Phil Hogan, Ireland's Environment Minister, said after the session that it was important to ask oneself questions and to put questions to others too - on how to share the effort to reduce emissions, how to encourage all the parties to do their utmost and on what measures should be taken to get to where one wants to be in 2015. All these questions, he said, are linked to the need to have an agreement that is as broad as possible, that can be implemented and that can be applied to all.
The debate was “very constructive”, according to Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, who was delighted at the positive welcome given to the Commission document. Speaking to the press, she said (our translation): “Many say flexibility is needed but, for the EU, there is a limit to that flexibility - the need to remain below the 2° Celsius mark”. In her view, this imperative establishes a link with the 2030 target. She went on to add: “Those who say it is necessary to wait have not understood. It is now that the 2030 strategy must be defined”. When asked about the attitude of Poland, which would prefer to wait for the results of international talks on the 2015 agreement before discussing the 2030 objective, Hedegaard answered that “never will Europe have as much clout in international negotiations as now when two European countries are to host UN conferences”, namely Poland at the end of the year and France in 2015, for conclusion of the agreement.
Hedegaard also presented the Green Paper of 16 April to ministers on a future climate adaptation strategy (see EUROPE 10829) on which the Irish Presidency hopes to be able to reach conclusions during the Environment Council in June. To this end, Hogan reaffirmed his intention to make progress within the Council's working group by the end of the week. (AN/transl.jl)