Tackling climate change is unlikely to be neglected at the European summit which will be devoted on 22 and 23 March to numerous highly important issues, such as transatlantic trade and Brexit (see other articles).
According to the first draft of the conclusions dated 19 March, European leaders may call on the European Commission to present a long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategy in accordance with the Paris Agreement.
“This is a request from Portugal, supported by half of the delegations, including France, Belgium and Luxembourg”, a European source said on Wednesday 21 March.
After the Talanoa dialogue (the whole of 2018) and following the COP 24 in Katowice (3-14 December 2018), all parties to the Paris Agreement will have to improve their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to implementation of the universal agreement by 2020.
“A number of member states believe that the EU should present its long-term strategy at COP 25 in 2019”, a diplomatic source said. Others, including the Central and Eastern European countries are keen to “avoid another rush to additional commitments without knowing what the others will do and without reflecting on our own national climate-energy plan” a diplomatic source indicated.
A call from the heads of state and/or government would put pressure on the Commission to follow up on the announcement made by its president, Jean-Claude Juncker, in the letter of intent that accompanied his state of the Union speech. It would also satisfy the demand by the European Parliament from before COP 23 for a strategy until 2050 (see EUROPE 11876).
When asked about Commission plans, climate action spokesperson Ana Kaisa Itkonen told EUROPE: “Of course we will submit all strategies requested by the Paris agreement. But the Commission has not scheduled anything yet”.
For the moment, all that is scheduled is a communication from the Commission in June on future climate and energy policies. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang with Sophie Petitjean)