Brussels, 10/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Creating an open Europe based on growth, a priority objective of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU, will have repercussions on the environmental agenda, Valentinas Mazuronis, the Lithuanian minister for the environment, said in Brussels on Wednesday 10 July, presenting the Presidency's environmental priorities to the European Parliament's environment committee. Climate change will be at the top of these priorities, “given its implications for the economy, energy, transport and agriculture”, focusing on preparation of a common EU position for the UN conference in Warsaw (COP 19,11-22 November) through the hoped-for conclusions of the Environment Council in Vilnius in October just before COP 19 opens. The president of the Environment Council said that “we believe that it is important to obtain a common denominator and to have an overall vision. Our aim for Paris in 2015 (COP 20) is to achieve concrete results”.
Obtaining first reading agreement on the regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases before the 25th meeting of the signatory parties to the Montreal protocol is also a priority that will send out an important message to the international community, too, he explained. The Lithuanian Presidency is also hoping to obtain first reading agreement on the regulation on ratification of the Nagoya Protocol for balanced and sustainable use of biodiversity and resource sharing.
The climate and funding for EU action on biodiversity up to 2020 will also be on the informal Vilnius Council agenda on 16-17 July next, as well as risk assessment during the drilling and extraction of shale gas, Mazuronis said. The minister explained that his country was planning on using its reserves “carefully, cautiously and without haste”. Obtaining a first reading agreement on the review of the directive on the assessment of the environmental impact of programmes and projects and the ILUC directive are also at the core of the Presidency's priorities.
ILUC. On the eve of the environment committee vote on the ILUC directive planned for 11 July, Mazuronis provided assurances that the Presidency wanted to find “sustainable solutions” to minimise the impact of indirect land use change on greenhouse gas emissions, create clear investment conditions for second-generation biofuels and respect EU commitments on renewable energies. He also stated that “the ILUC directive is in keeping with our wishes because it plans to increase wooded surface areas by 5% but member states are divided on this”. Asked to be more precise on this point, which surprised Corine Lepage (ALDE, France), the rapporteur, the president was not forthcoming with any further explanation. Neither did he say what he thought about requests for an impact study on second generation agri-fuels.
Shale gas. Commission proposals are expected later this month and Mazuronis indicated that he had consulted all the environment ministers from all member states before the Lithuanian Presidency began its work.
ETS. On this very highly sensitive dossier, the Presidency said that it was ready to negotiate this summer. The Lithuanian minister said that “we will resume work at the working groups after examining the member states' positions, so that negotiations can be launched with Parliament as soon as possible”. (AN/transl.fl)