Brussels, 15/06/2005 (Agence Europe) - EU/China institutional dialogue on the environment moved forward in Brussels on Tuesday, during the first official visit to the European Commissioned by Chinese Minister for the environment, Zhenhua Xia, together with a delegation of 12 (EUROPE 8967). His talks with European Commissioner Stavros Dimas and with the president of the committee on the environment of the European Parliament, Karl Heinz Florenz (EPP-ED, Germany), allowed both sides to take stock of progress made in this cooperation in recent years, but above all to "identify fields in which it should be stepped up, bilaterally, and multilaterally as well". Speaking to the press on Tuesday evening, Commissioner Dimas stressed this, referring also to the fight against the decline of biodiversity and global warming, "two global-scale environmental problems which call for a global response". However, air and water pollution- two major causes of concern for the Chinese, the security of energy supply, energy efficiency, the sources of renewable energy, and noise reduction also have their place in intensified exchanges of information and the best available technology, to guarantee that China, in full phase of economic growth, will avoid the mistakes that Europe made in the past, which run counter to sustainable development. "We have agreed to acknowledge that the environment is a contribution, and not an obstacle, to the economy and growth", said Stavros Dimas.
On the climate, the Commissioner, who presented the Chinese minister with the EU's position "in favour of a multilateral solution" to intensify the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions post-2012, with a regime including as many countries as possible, said that he was encouraged by the "goodwill" shown by his interlocutor. "We have many opportunities to co-operate. Minister Xie has assured me that he would relay the EU's concerns to his colleagues", he said (Mr Xie is one of the ministers competent for climate change matters within the Chinese government: Ed).
Zhenhua Xie, for his part, welcomed this useful exchange of experience on "our respective policies, measures and strategies" on environmental protection and sustainable development, and the EU/China consensus on one essential point: "the need to act, rather than just talk, in the interest of all citizens, Europeans and Chinese". The Minister took pains to stress China's "positive attitude", as a signatory of both the United Nations Framework Convention on the Climate Change and of the Kyoto Protocol. "China is under no obligation to reduce its greenhouse gas effects before 2012. However, we are taking specific measures in order to increase our energy efficiency, to increase use of solar and wind power, and to reduce our consumption of coal. We are planting trees and transforming fields into forests to increase carbon wells. Implementing a clean development mechanism is a collective responsibility. We are prepared to take other measures in the future", he said.
Is China, an emerging country with strong economic growth, prepared to take a commitment on binding objectives post-2012? " This is a very delicate question. In terms of the implementation of the Kyoto protocol, we still have time until 2012. I hope that certain countries will respect their obligations and commitments. China will not take its decision until it is assessed what the other countries are doing", Minister Xie told the press. This was clearly aimed at countries such as the United States and Australia, which have not ratified the Kyoto protocol, even though the first commitment period of this international instrument (2008-2012) is valid only for the industrialised countries.
Karl-Heinz Florenz said that he had greatly appreciated these " very open" talks with his Chinese interlocutors, who were surprisingly interested in European legislation. The reduction of pollution from vehicles emissions, the directive on water and its management by hydrological basin concept, and the Natura 2000 network for the protection of biodiversity raised their interest. "Anybody who thinks that China is not interested in environmental protection and healthcare issues is entirely wrong", said the president of the Parliament's committee on the environment. The concerns voiced by Minister Xie on the high level of lung cancer (eight times higher in the big cities than in the countryside in China), bear witness to this. Speaking of the enormous potential offered by clean technologies, Karl Heinz Florenz said: "we need to cooperate with China. It is not just an environmental issue, but an economic one as well".