Brussels, 21/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - Nothing is as yet decided but European Council agreement on 23-24 October on the climate/energy action framework between 2020 and 2030 is “perfectly possible”, said Italian Under-Secretary for European Affairs Sandro Gozi optimistically. He was speaking in Luxembourg on Tuesday 21 October after the General Affairs Council that was preparing for the summit (see EUROPE 11179).
“The tone of the discussion was certainly encouraging. I noted a desire to agree an ambitious EU position to fight the case and take strong action on the outstanding issues. More work will be needed in the coming hours”, he said. The ministers held discussions with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy via videoconference.
The agreement is likely to focus on two points: 1) effort compensation mechanisms that ensure a fair sharing of the load among the member states - a demand that is close to the hearts particularly of the enlarged Visegrad group (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria) which have low revenues, are highly dependent on coal for electricity generation and have already significantly reduced their greenhouse gas emissions under the 2020 climate/energy legislative package; 2) the flexibility required for implementation of the goals of the action framework (40% reduction in emission compared with 1990 as a binding objective, 27% renewables, as a European objective, not divided into national objectives, 30% energy efficiency as an indicative objective, and the creation of a European carbon market stability reserve).
“Some points remain to be settled”, he conceded. Among these points feature certain criteria, such as GDP per inhabitant, effectiveness compared with the costs of the measures, or a combination of the two. The member states' ambassadors to the EU were due to meet in the late afternoon of Tuesday 21 October to make these final adjustments and new draft conclusions were expected to be circulated in the course of the evening. In Gozi's view, the discussion on the issue of interconnection had also been fruitful.
“We certainly did a lot of groundwork”, stated European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic. He added: “We have to send a strong signal to citizens on tackling climate change and assume a leading role throughout the international climate negotiations”. Here he was thinking about the talks taking place in Bonn (20-25 October) and those due to take place in Lima (COP 20, December 2014) and the Paris conference (COP 21, December 2015) at which it is hoped to reach a legally binding, ambitious global agreement, with everyone on board. He noted that the EU, like all the other parties, will formulate its negotiating position in spring 2015, at the end of March at the latest, “in time for the Paris conference” (our translation throughout). (AN)