On Thursday 20 December in Brussels, European Environment Ministers welcomed the Commission's long-term strategic vision for a climate-neutral, yet competitive European economy (see EUROPE 12148).
In the aftermath of COP 24 in Katowice, they all considered that the Commission's communication presenting several scenarios was an opportune time to implement the Paris Agreement and fuel the debate, so that the EU would be in a position to present a 2050 strategy to the UNFCCC in 2020, as it is required to do.
The introductory discussion showed that the ministers appreciated the involvement of all sectors of the European economy, as well as the planned discussion between all players in society and within all relevant Council formations (the Energy Ministers had an initial discussion - see EUROPE 12163).
The discussion also highlighted that Central and Eastern European countries want national and regional specificities and the freedom of choice of the energy mix to be taken into account, while the most ambitious countries stressed the importance of focusing on the only zero net emissions scenario by 2050.
They all stressed the need to ensure a transition that is socially just. Member States also want to give themselves time to reflect on the complementarity between this vision of a future EU strategy and national strategies.
These are the conclusions drawn from the debate by Austrian Minister Elisabeth Köstinger, outgoing President of the Council.
Romanian Minister Gratiela Leocadia Gavrilescu, on behalf of the incoming Council Presidency, promised that she would organise the debates in the Council formations. “We need to understand and identify the best possible approach," she said. According to her, it is important to decarbonise, but also to ensure economic growth for the decades to come.
“The aim is to discuss it in January of next year so that by 1 January 2020 we will have something concrete under the Energy/Climate Governance Regulation,” said Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy. He welcomed the fact that the ministers were considering the "avenues for change” provided by the Commission. “It will also help us to prepare for the Sibiu summit on 9 May” on the future of the EU, he said.
Poland considered that the Commission "should have included a cost assessment until the middle of the century, not the end of the century”. Hungary has called upon them to "keep a cool head", as the aim is to engage in different scenarios. “The strategy should reflect the climate/energy plans to be finalised by the end of the year. We will ask for a high degree of flexibility in the discussions and, as the ambition is very high, the final word will have to be given at the highest level," their ambassador said.
At the other extreme, Sweden, for example, has argued that, according to the IPCC, to meet the temperature target of 1.5 ° Celsius by 2100, zero emissions must be achieved by 2050 or earlier. "The EU must remain a leader. We appreciate the fact that the communication highlights the need for an early transition in all sectors, otherwise the costs of disasters will be exorbitant,” she said. Spain has called for the EU to go to the UN General Assembly in September with a roadmap. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)