Brussels, 25/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The opening, on Tuesday in Brussels, of the "Green week" organised by the European Commission (see EUROPE of 21 April, p.7), provided Greenpeace with the golden opportunity to symbolically celebrate, with Margot Wallström, Environment Commissioner, the third anniversary of the signature by the European Union of the Kyoto Protocol on climatic change. Irony of fate: the celebration of this anniversary, anticipated a few days before for practical reasons (the signature ceremony took place on 29 April 1999 in New York) coincided with the unilateral decision by the Americans to turn their back on the Protocol. After having blown three candles on a birthday cake decorated with whipped cream cars, factories and planes (symbolising the main emitters of carbon dioxide), Margot Wallström stated: We will ratify the Kyoto Protocol, with or without the Americans, even if an agreement with the Americans is clearly preferable to effectively tackle the global problem that is climatic change. We will continue the negotiations, we will develop the European programme to fight against climatic change and continue to put pressure on the United States for them to take part in negotiations.
For Michel Raquet, Greenpeace advisor on climatic issues, there is not reason to wait for a country that fails in its international obligations. He also invited Mrs Wallström, to submit to the Environment Council, on 7 and 8 June, a draft legal instrument allowing for the ratification of the Protocol by the EU and pressure the Commission to present a declaration clearly asserting that the Union will ratify the Protocol without the United States to the Gothenburg Summit.
During a press conference, Margot Wallström welcomed the political pressure that the critics from the media and international public opinion exercise upon the Bush Administration. It is necessary to get the United States out of the hole in which they have dug for themselves. It is necessary to make life difficult in this hole, she said, feeling, at this stage, that pressure is preferable to sanctions.