Brussels, 25/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The informal last chance meeting before the Bonn international conference on climatic change (16-27 July), began on Monday in The Hague (Netherlands). Called by Jan Pronk, Minister for the Environment in the Netherlands and President of the COP6 (sixth conference of the parties to the United Nations convention on climatic change), it gathers together all the parties to the convention - including the United States, which despite their refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, had confirmed in Gothenburg their participation in these talks as well as in the Bonn negotiation conference. Kenneth C. Brill, acting Assistant Secretary of State for Ocean, Environment and Science will represent the American Administration in the aim, according to American sources, of remaining engaged in the process.
For one week, from 25 to 29 June, all the countries will try, through informal consultations on the latest "package" from Jan Pronk, to align their points of view over the details for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol (use of flexible mechanisms, in particular, carbon sinks, and system ensuring the conformity of the results with the targets subscribed), delicate exercise on which the Hague conference in November 2000 had failed. The aim is to guarantee the success of the COP6 where, as desired by the European Union, the negotiations to allow for the ratification of the Protocol in 2002 must be finalised. A coordination meeting between the 15 Member States of the Union is planned for 26 June, preparatory for the multiple bilateral contacts that the Union intends to take. Kjell Larsson, Swedish Environment Minister, will represent the Council, Margot Wallström the European Commission.
The date and the formation of the high level mission that the Heads of State and Government of the EU 15 decided upon, in Gothenburg, to send Japan to rally this crucial partner to the ratification of the Protocol, has not yet been decided.