Brussels / Rome, 05/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - At the end of last week, the attitude of the Italian delegation in relation to the Kyoto Protocol, when preparing next Thursday and Friday's Environment Council, had disturbed some Community circles. Indeed, that delegation had maintained a reservation on the text to be submitted to ministers over climate change, proposing different amendments to the draft of the Swedish Presidency of the Council. These amendments went along the lines of eliminating the 2002 deadline for the protocol's ratification and announcing a "constructive " EU attitude towards possible American proposals. Following talks in Council, the issue will be handed to the European Council of Gothenburg, preceded by the EU/USA Summit, with the participation of President Bush. But the President of the European Council, Goran Persson, has already expressed his scepticism regarding the possibility of a compromise with the Americans on this issue.
In Rome, the Minister of the Environment, Willer Bordon, denied the existence of an Italian reservation, critcising the personal initiatives of the head of delegation at senior official level, and announced that at the Council of Luxembourg, Italy would approve the Swedish draft along with the other Member states, including the 2002 deadline for ratification of the Kyoto Protcol. Prime minister Giuliano Amato published a note to announce that it would be likewise at the Summit of Gothenburg. EUROPE recalls, however, that the Amato Government is coming to the end of its term in office; in the coming days, the new government led by Silvio Berlusconi will be formed and take office. A personality of the new majority announced that the position of the future minister of the environment could be different than that of the current government. The head of the Italian delegation at senior official level, Carrado Clini, declared that his sole objective was to leave the door open for dialogue with the United States, as without the Americans the Kyoto Protocol would have no value.