Brussels, 14/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Environment Council of 9 March has ensured the follow-up to the Montreal Conference on climate change (eleventh conference of parties supporting the UN Framework Convention on climate change, COP 11, 28 November-9 December) and prepared the position the EU will defend during the next round of international meetings. In this respect, EU Environment Ministers hoped that ad hoc work group meetings will take place next May for launching international negotiations on post-2012 (date when first period of Kyoto Protocol commitments expires) and putting into place the informal multilateral dialogue on fostering long term international cooperation through an exchange of experiences and analysis of strategic approaches (EUROPE 9087).
In its conclusions, the Council reiterates its firm commitment stepping up the fight against global warming; welcomes the Montreal action plan and welcomes, most of all, the next opening of parallel discussions that are both expected to help towards achieving the ultimate objective in the Framework Convention: so that an increase in global warming does not exceed 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. It confirms that in order for this objective to be reached, significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are essential, which will require differentiated efforts according to the country in question, in proportion to their responsibilities and respective capacities in compliance with the approach outlined by the European Council of March 2005. This will involve global emissions reaching their highest point in twenty years time and thereafter registering substantial reductions of at least 15% and a maximum of 50% in 2050 compared to 1990 levels, notes the Council.
The whole Council debate focused on the degree of medium and long term objectives in the EU's strategy. The Council managed to overcome initial divergences which pitted the Austrian Presidency, supported by Italy and Poland (and who wanted the medium term (2020) greenhouse gas reduction objective to be included in the text) against the Commission and ten more ambitious delegations that wanted a mention of a 60-80% reduction in 2050 (as the Environment Council had in March 2005). In the guise of a compromise, the Council divided the issue into two and explained that together with the other parties it would explore strategies for attaining the required emissions reductions and reaffirmed that it would aim for industrial country reductions of between 15-30% by 2020 and “in the spirit of the March Environment Council” by 2050 but with without mentioning any figures for the latter date. The Commission is to this end going to undertake an earlier costs and benefits analysis of the emission reduction strategies. The Council also underlines the need to establish links between Community emissions trade quotas and other similar systems in an effort to set up an efficient global market in emissions trading.