Brussels, 25/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - A seven-strong delegation of MEPs from the European Parliament's environment committee, back from a diplomatic mission on climate issues in Washington, USA, welcomed on 24 July the new approach in the US since the announcement by President Obama of an American climate action plan. Contradictions have been found, however, between Obama's speech on 25 June, and the minimalist position of the US administration when it comes to slashing carbon emissions in global aviation. The EP delegation met senators, members of the House of Representatives and chief US climate negotiator Todd Stern
Pieter Liese (EPP, Germany), the EP rapporteur on this issue, said upon his return from Washington that the commitment by Obama and his administration to deal with climate change is impressive, particularly because a majority in the House of Representatives is clearly opposed to the action plan but, on the other hand, there are still considerable problems with the question of aviation. Liese said the EU had decided to stop the clock with the ETS (carbon trading) to help get agreement at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in September, but what is on the negotiating table and backed by the US negotiators is very disappointing. The negotiating text merely suggests that the ICAO's board should pursue talks whose outcome will be examined at ICAO's general assembly in 2016. Liese said this is even less clear and less ambitious than the process currently under way at the United Nations in order to achieve the signing in Paris in 2015 of a global climate deal that will come into force in 2020. Liese said that a system was needed for the period between 2015 and 2010, but ICAO and the United States were ignoring that.
The EU has temporarily agreed to exclude international flights leaving from or arriving at airports in Europe from the ETS in order to help reach a substantial international agreement in September on reducing carbon emissions in the aviation industry. (AN/transl.fl)