Brussels, 08/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - Improving the management of hydraulic resources in an effort to tackle water shortages is effectively a climate change adaptation tool. A conference on the improvement of water management in Europe will be held on Monday 11 July in Bratislava by the Slovak Presidency of the Environment Council. This will serve as the introduction to an informal Council of the EU meeting in multiple formats. It will also focus on the adaptation to climate change, which is already being witnessed in extreme weather conditions and to which the EU is attempting to provide a contribution in the global fight against climate change, with the COP 22 in the firing line.
The follow-up to the conference on water, which will be opened on Monday morning by the Slovak Minister for the Environment, Laszlo Solymos and the European Commissioner for the Environment, Karmenu Vella, European environment ministers and their colleagues in charge of climate, will hold two joint sessions on Monday afternoon 11 July.
The first exchange of views will focus on water management in the context of climate change adaptation and the dual perspective of sustainable development targets and revision of the EU policies in the domain of water. The discussion will focus on the question of water shortages, droughts and floods, in an effort to determine the impact of these phenomena on the economy, as well as help evaluate the efficiency of EU policy in tackling them. The discussion will also involve the exchange of experiences on efficient strategies, instruments and measures adopted as part of the hydrographic basin management plans.
The second session will focus on the follow-up to the COP21 and the EU's contribution to the success of COP22 in Marrakesh (7-18 November). The exchange will focus on the swift ratification of the Paris agreement as an opportunity for efficient global action; the ways in which the EU can accentuate the fundamental importance of the nationally decided contributions (NDC) and facilitating mutual and constructive understanding of the Paris Agreement. The Slovak Presidency also wants to obtain the opinion of ministers on ways of ensuring that the COP22 formulates a roadmap in the best possible way for the facilitating dialogue planned for 2018 and the balance sheet of the progress accomplished. This is being done in an effort to attain the long-term mitigation targets in the Paris Agreement and provide a positive example for the five yearly periodical re-examination exercises. On Tuesday 12 July in the afternoon, Energy and Climate ministers will have an exchange of views on sustainable financing and new governance, with a view to achieving the EU's climate and energy objectives.
The discussion will particularly focus on the funds for modernisation and innovation included in the long-term ETS's reform for the 2021-2030 period. Ministers will be asked to reply to the following questions: 1) What are the experiences and good practices relating to existing financial instruments at national and EU levels and what could be strengthened in the provisions on low carbon project financing? 2) Do you think that the projects that satisfy minimum criteria should be compensated in order to maintain a broad geographical cover for the Innovation Fund (one for each country, for example)? What kinds of projects should be highlighted and what do you think of the carbon storage and capture (CSC) projects or the carbon capture and use of carbon dioxide (CCU) project? (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)