Brussels, 10/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 4 June, a step was taken towards the ratification of the Paris Agreement, which was concluded on 12 December 2015, when the European Commission presented the proposed ratification, by the European Union, of this first universal and legally binding climate agreement (see EUROPE 11452).
In so doing, it hopes to accelerate the process which requires the ratification of the EU collectively, and the individual ratification of the 28 member states, as is the case for all joint agreements.
The President of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the President of COP 21, Ségolène Royal, shared the same desire to work towards a swift ratification of the Agreement, when they met in Brussels on 2 June (see EUROPE 11564 and 11493). The G7 summit of Japan also expressed its support for a ratification of the Agreement this year (see EUROPE 11561).
“We are determined to maintain the momentum and spirit of Paris and ensure the early ratification - and swift implementation - of this historic agreement (…). I am confident that the European Parliament, Council and member states will complete the respective ratification procedures promptly”, the Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Cañete, confirmed in a press release.
This proposed ratification on behalf of the EU will be included on the agenda of the Environment Council of 20 June in Luxembourg. The Dutch Presidency of the Council hopes that the environment ministers of the 28 will adopt a declaration translating the importance of the ratification of this Agreement, which will enter into force once 55% of the countries representing 55% of global emissions have ratified it.
China, the United States and a number of other countries have already announced that they will ratify the agreement this year, meaning that it will be able to enter into force before the EU and the Twenty-Eight have all submitted their ratification instruments to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change (see EUROPE 11537). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)