The EU27 environment ministers will meet in the EU ‘Environment’ Council on Monday 14 October. In particular, they will be discussing COP29, COP16 on biodiversity, the Global Plastics Treaty and the EU’s chemicals strategy.
COP29. In the run-up to the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November, EU ministers will be asked to approve conclusions on preparations for the event. One of the main objectives of COP29 will be the adoption of new quantified targets for global climate finance. At the EU ‘Economic and Financial Affairs’ Council of 8 October (see EUROPE 13499/23), the EU reaffirmed its commitment to achieving the collective objective of developed countries to mobilise 100 billion US dollars per year until 2025 to support climate action. While these conclusions do not yet include a figure for the EU’s contribution for 2023, they do reflect the EU’s ambition to negotiate with global partners to contribute to climate financing.
The EU’s position aims to ensure that each party contributes to climate financing with an ambitious national plan and in a transparent manner. Furthermore, the EU must maintain its leading role in these negotiations.
For the time being, one of the sticking points is the role of nuclear power in the global energy transition, linked to the wider issue of the energy mix that the European Union needs to adopt in order to meet its climate targets. On the one hand, some countries, such as France, are calling for nuclear power to be recognised as an essential low-carbon solution for reducing CO2 emissions, in addition to renewable energies. On the other hand, countries such as Germany and Austria are opposed to this reference, preferring to focus their efforts on developing renewable energies.
The climate target of a 90% reduction in emissions by 2040, as set out in the European Commission’s proposal last February (see EUROPE 13344/1), also remains one of the questions still open. Some more ambitious Member States want to include a reference to this objective now, to reinforce the EU’s long-term commitment. Others claim that it is premature to set such a target before the Commission officially presents its proposal. The Hungarian Presidency is currently attempting to reconcile these divergent views in order to arrive at a common position before the ministerial meeting.
COP16 on biodiversity. The ministers will attempt to adopt conclusions for the negotiating mandate for the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16), to be held in Cali (Colombia) from 21 October to the 1st of November. In its draft conclusions for the summit on 17 and 18 October, the European Council called on the EU to be ambitious at COP16, where priorities will focus on financing measures and implementing the Kunming-Montreal global biodiversity framework defined at COP15 in December 2022. The debate should not be too difficult, as the text is well advanced, according to a diplomatic source.
Global Plastics Treaty. An exchange of views is planned between the ministers in preparation for the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), scheduled for 25 November to 1 December in Busan (South Korea) to develop a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. Hungary, which currently holds the EU Council rotating presidency, sees this as an opportunity to continue refining the EU’s position and to identify certain sensitivities.
Negotiations between stakeholders are progressing (see EUROPE 13500/12), but are difficult, while concerns remain among certain non-European parties (see EUROPE 13496/2). EU ministers need to assess how ambitious the EU should be, as too ambitious a treaty would limit the parties.
EU chemicals strategy. The ministers will take stock of the implementation of the EU strategy and provide guidance on the next steps. Adopted by the EU Council in March 2021, the conclusions of this global strategy include the REACH regulation, the regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of chemical substances, the regulation on fertilisers, the regulation on detergents and the regulation on cosmetics.
On the subject of REACH, France wants to extend to the EU the principle of its ‘Egalim’ law, which bans the export of products already banned in France, according to the office of the French Environment Minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The strengthening of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), for increased surveillance of PFASs, could also be addressed during the discussions. (Original version in French by Florent Servia and Nithya Paquiry)