Brussels, 13/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament would like the European Union to allocate itself sufficient resources to allow it to achieve its ambitions of remaining the pioneer in climate protection, at the international technical seminar on climate changes, which will bring together government experts from the whole world in Bonn on 16 and 17 May.
In a resolution on this subject proposed by Anders Wijksman (EPP-ED, Sweden) and adopted in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the MEPs welcomed the forthcoming UN seminar which was convened last December by all the parties to the United Nations framework convention on climate change (COP 10, Buenos Aires, Argentina) to help all parties to develop responses to global warming and to revise the policies and measures to implement the framework convention and the Kyoto Protocol. The Parliament, however, criticises the fact that the mandate established by COP for this meeting is “very limited”. Indeed, the experts have no mandate either to start negotiations on new commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions post-2012 (when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol expires) or to make recommendations for the forthcoming conference of the parties to the framework convention (COP 11) to be held in Montreal in November, jointly with the first meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol. This no-frills mandate was the prerequisite to leave Buenos Aires on an agreement and for the Americans to agree to take part in the Bonn seminar.
If the EU is to continue to play a principal role, the Parliament stresses that it must carry out a climate policy based on annual reductions of the energy intensity of its economy in the order of 2-2.5%, a significant increase in the proportion of renewable energy of total energy consumption and exponential increases in aid to R&D in the field of sustainable energy. The EP also emphasises the fact that “the transport sector is a major challenge and new and innovative policies are needed to reduce emissions linked to road, air and maritime transport”, and calls upon the Commission to propose measures in the first instance for an optimum cost-efficiency ratio in order to tackle the problem.
Parliament welcomes the conclusions adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the EU at the recent Spring Summit, especially the agreement on the reduction objectives of around 15 to 30% by 2020 for the group of developed countries (EUROPE 8915). However, it “criticises the fact that the European Council has given no indication as to the long-term reduction objectives” and “suggests that reductions in the region of 60 to 80% be required by 2050” (in line with the recommendations of the Environment Council in its conclusions, which the European summit simply refers back to: Ed).
The Strasbourg assembly calls on the Commission and the Member States to present proposals in Bonn on a post-Kyoto regime which is compatible with the EU's long-term objective (containing the increase in the annual global temperature at 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels)- proposals based on eco-innovation and the development of ecotechnologies, especially in the field of energy and transport. The Parliament stresses that cooperation is needed with various countries, especially the most advanced developing countries.
The MEPs call on the Commission and the Member States immediately to stress the urgency of the need to fight global warming in all dialogue opportunities with their partners, especially the United States, China and India. They feel that if fair competition conditions are to be guaranteed at planetary level, international-scale businesses, especially in high energy-consumption sectors, must adopt a sectorial approach to define future international objectives to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases further. The Parliament urges all countries which have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, especially the United States and Australia, to get on board. The Commission is called upon to envisage, in all analyses on the cost and benefits of climate policies, the adoption “of commercial measures of customs adjustment to balance out the competitive advantage enjoyed by industrialised countries” which are avoiding the obligation to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions. The MEPs also highlighted the need to increase financial support to developing countries to help them to adapt to climate change.
Lastly, the Parliament calls for a written report on the results of the Bonn seminar to be published and for the results to be duly taken into account in official negotiations on post-2012, which will get underway in Montreal.
The resolution was adopted by the Parliament after oral questions were raised by Karl Heinz Florenz (EPP-ED, Germany) on behalf of the environment committee that he chairs, calling on the Council and the Commission to specify their objectives for the Bonn seminar and how they plan to involve the European Parliament in the discussions underway within the EU with a view to defining the EU's position after 2012.
Environmental NGO Friends of the Earth International sounds the alarm
In a press release, the NGO for defence of nature, Friends of the Earth International (FOEI), which was as disappointed as the European Parliament by the over-narrow mandate entrusted to this technical cooperation seminar, reproaches the governments for preferring to “talk rather than act” and deplores the fact that, by not discussing the “crucial question - how can one tackle climate change? - the conference will be wrapped up with sixty presentations on climate protection policies”. “Climate change is the greatest threat facing the planet. So why are the actions so urgently required ignored by this UN conference. The alarm bell is ringing but the world is still talking”, the FOEI asserts. The NGO also urges for the governments to go beyond discussion on the effort to be made to achieve the current objectives of the Kyoto Protocol which are inadequate for raising the challenge, and lays the foundations for the basis of a formal process for negotiations on the post-2012 period.