Brussels, 12/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Council on 8-9 March agreed to adopt binding objectives on fighting global warming and promoting the development of renewable energies in the Union (EUROPE 9383). This result was largely welcomed by all the political groups at the European Parliament. Joseph Daul, the president of the EPP-ED was pleased that when political decisiveness was required, Europe had proved that it was able to move forward decisively and bravely. Addressing European leaders from his political family, meeting up before the opening of the Spring summit, Mr Daul insisted that the EU27 obtain this agreement that was, “not only desirable, but essential so that Europe shows itself capable of meeting global challenges and shows the way to its partners. This decision also gives a clear response to the climate of uncertainty prevailing for some time within the Union”. In a press release, Daul explained that: “Thanks to her personal dedication, her strength of conviction and the support of the EPP political family, the president of the European Council, Angela Merkel, showed that with political will and courage, Europe can be put on the right track and confidence restored”.
The leader of the Socialist group, Martin Schulz from Germany described the agreement on renewables as, “a success for Europe and an important step to safeguard the future of our planet”. He explained that: “All nations must play their part in dealing with the crisis of climate change”, adding, “the outcome of this remarkable summit is that Europe is back in business”.
British Liberal, Andrew Duff, also welcomed the decisions of the European Council that made the Union, “the world leader in building a sustainable, energy-efficient economy”. Duff believes, however, that in order to reach these objectives, all member states should adapt their tax systems to these new environmental standards. He added that science and technology should play a “big part” as well as taxation and that the CAP should be “better harmonised” with the EU's ambitious R&D programmes. Duff concluded that: “Changing our light bulbs will not be enough to make Europe green. We need strong government at the European level across a wide range of policies, including tax and science, if the EU is to lead the world by example”.
Speaking on behalf of the Greens, Claude Turmes from Luxembourg welcomed the fact that the Spring summit had “confirmed that renewable energies remained the main technology in fighting climate change, contrary to Jacques Chirac's message (the French president), who wanted to make nuclear energy a renewable energy”. Turmes added that: “I am pleased that this immoral approach aiming to put nuclear and renewable energies on the same footing, was not supported by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and was rejected by the European Council”. He concluded that, “rather than producing biofuels that damage the environment and risk causing a food crisis, France would do better to use its wind, wood, biogas and solar power potential. It would be much more effective if its weight was felt on the technologies export market, like Denmark has shown, and which has increased its export capacity by the equivalent of 20 000 MW in renewable energies over the last five years and achieved a turnover ten times that of Areva (the French nuclear industry)”. (eh)
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has welcomed the results of the summit. The European unions consider that by adopting ambitious and binding targets, “the Union has taken a decisive step in the right direction”. The ETUC is now calling on the European Commission to implement a, “platform for the European social partners” to examine ways of attaining such objectives whilst boosting employment and innovation in Europe.
In New York, the Secretary General for the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, also welcomed the decisions taken on Friday by the heads of state and government of the EU. Ban Ki-moon said that the Union's targets were “ambitious, but ambition and leadership are exactly what is needed for responding to climate change, one of the greatest challenges to humanity”. He also explained that the European Union's goal was also to create hope for progress at an international level, during the United Nations conference on climate change in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2007. (eh /hb)