Brussels, 09/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - A joint declaration by President of the Commission Romano Prodi and Goran Persson Swedish Prime Minister, deploring the unilateral decision by the United States to turn their back on the Kyoto Protocol has lead to much ink being spilled and, according to the European Commission spokesperson, gave rise to an erroneous interpretation in many newspapers.
In this joint text, published last weekend, in the daily Swedish press (GotegorgsPosten), Mr Prodi and Mr Persson stated: In our eyes, it would be a tragic error to wipe-out the Protocol and to return starting block. We would loose time and we will all be losers (…) If some aspects of the protocol prevent the United States from ratifying it, we will have to carry out negotiations on these aspects rather than the whole text". Many are the observers to have interpreted this statement as the signal that the European Union is prepared to review certain aspects of the Kyoto protocol. However, according to the European Commission spokesperson this is not so. Such an interpretation would be contrary to the unequivocal message that the European Union has continuously sent to its American partners as of the first statements by Georges W. Bush and since the recent visit by the European Troika to Washington (see EUROPE of 5 April, p.7) - namely: the Kyoto Protocol is still alive: its ratification by all the parties, including the United Sates, which represents the largest world contributors to greenhouse gas emissions - is highly desirable as it is appropriate to tackle a global problem whose seriousness cannot be questioned. The European Union will ratify the Protocol whatever happens, with or without the Americans.
The EU Environment Ministers, Margot Wallström the Environment Commissioner, Jan Pronk the Dutch Environment Minister and President of COP6 (see EUROPE of 2/3 April, p. 8) and the European Troika visiting Washington have consistently pushed the same message. The Commission spokesperson commented on Monday that the international negotiations on climate change which are due to restart in Bonn (COP6) in mid-July have the aim of negotiating the way the flexible mechanisms from the Kyoto Protocol (proposed by the US) will be implemented after this issue hit deadlock at The Hague. Messrs Prodi and Persson are therefore calling for the negotiations to continue on practical details of the Kyoto Protocol rather than for the Protocol itself to be taken back to the drawing board. Particularly since the US, although refusing to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, has indicated that it would like to take part in the Bonn conference.
Getting all parties to agree to a compromise in Bonn is the objective being pursued by the COP6 President, Jan Pronk, with the new compromise package he presented on Monday 9 April to all the different parties (the United States).
The European Troika is pursuing the same objective and has received encouraging indications, being assured by Russia and China that they support the Kyoto Protocol. The two countries savagely laid into the "irresponsible" attitude taken by the United States, but explained that they were determined to continue without them. The Iranian government wants the Kyoto commitments to be respected and for the European Union and the G77 to coordinate their positions in respect of the new line taken by the US Administration. The Troika was in Pekin on Monday and will travel to Japan on Tuesday where it will bring its diplomatic venture to a close.