Brussels, 14/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - Against a backdrop of catastrophic floods in central Europe, the debate about the EU's future strategy on adapting to climate change will be the most important subject form discussion for EU environment ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday 18 June. The conclusions document to be published by the Council on this issue, along with those on the future strategy for development objectives post-2015, are the only things the ministers, chaired by Irish Environment Minister Phil Hogal, are expected to decide on. Several important issues for the outgoing Irish Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers (the LIFE programme 2014-2020, reducing carbon emissions from vans and from cars) are currently the subject of three-way talks that are expected to result in agreements, said a high-ranking EU official on Friday, which is why there is so little on the agenda for the Council meeting, to be attended by EU Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik and EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard.
Adapting to climate change. The Council will publish a conclusions document on the report unveiled on 17 April by the European Commission to lay the foundations for an EU strategy for adapting to climate change through the establishment of a framework and mechanisms to help the EU become more resilient to changes across Europe and the range of extreme weather events that global warming brings in its wake. The Council is expected to welcome the strategy, which focuses on cheap solutions that are beneficial to the economy and the environment alike, and will ask the Commission to take account of adjusting to climate change in all its relevant action proposals in areas like the common agricultural policy, the cohesion policy and the common fisheries policy. The ministers discussed this at the Council meeting in Dublin on 22 and 23 April.
ILUC . The ministers will note a report from the Irish Presidency on progress with the draft directive on minimising the impact of indirect land-use changes (ILUC) on greenhouse gas emissions and on promoting the transition to second generation biofuels by capping first generation biofuels from agricultural crops. Energy ministers were presented with the same progress report on 7 June. Negotiations on the draft directive are currently in the doldrums (see EUROPE 10862).
Sustainable development. The Council is expected to endorse conclusions on a common approach to the future United Nations framework for development post- 2015, which will combine the Millennium Development Goals with the sustainable development objectives arising from Rio+20. Development ministers discussed this at the General Affairs Council on 28 May (see EUROPE 10854), where they concluded that the eradication of extreme poverty and environmental and economic sustainability must go hand-in-hand. A formal conclusions document will be published by the General Affairs Council. (AN/transl.fl)