Brussels, 15/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Union is mobilising on several fronts to take the next steps from COP 21 and to work for the implementation of all elements of the Paris Agreement.
Meeting in Brussels on Monday 15 February, the foreign affairs ministers approved the 2016 action plan, which was put together by the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), to continue to establish the fight against climate change as a strategic priority in all political dialogues, all fora and all of the external policy instruments of the EU (see EUROPE 11488).
Environment Ministers prepare for post-COP 21
At the same time, the European Ministers for the Environment are putting their heads together and preparing to do their utmost to ensure that the European Union hold onto its key role in the finalisation and implementation of the commitments of the Paris Agreement, but also of the Agenda of Solutions - both initiatives which blossomed in Paris on the sidelines of COP 21.
The meeting of the European Environment Ministers, in Paris on Friday 12 February by invitation of Ségolène Royal, the French minister for ecology, sustainable development and energy, aimed to clarify the orientations to finalise the 70 initiatives of the Lima-Paris Action Plan by the summer, to prepare for the Environment Council of 4 March, which will discuss the next steps from COP 21.
As regards the Agenda of Solutions, the Minister proposed three orientations: a reflection on mapping the coalitions of the Lima-Paris Action Plan in order to make the commitment more visible and more easily referenced; ensuring that each small group of countries in Europe steers a coalition to ensure that the commitments are up and running by the summer; encouraging European businesses to stay on the offensive to develop the energy transition markets on the continent.
The French minister reiterated the four priorities that her country intends to promote for a carbon price: to set in place a price corridor on the European carbon market (DTS); - to include a carbon component in the energy taxation of the European countries; - to create incentives for a carbon country in third countries and federate the countries which move to action; - to take the necessary measures to fight carbon leaks, by better targeting the free allocation of quotas. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)