Strasbourg, 16/12/2008 (Agence Europe) - On the eve of the European Parliament vote on climate/energy, it appeared that on 16 December in Strasbourg, the presidency and Commission's gamble would be won on reaching an agreement in a first reading on the climate and energy package by the end of the year.
Nicolas Sarkozy called for the compromise negotiated by the Heads of State and governments of the EU27 it be defended. The political groups' positions in response varied somewhat (see other article) but most of them (EPP-Ed, PES, ALDE) confirmed unequivocal support for the package, which came out of the latest adjustments introduced to the compromise at the last trialogue on 13 December.
“A hard-won battle. Some thought too much was being asked of industry, others not enough” (20% reduction in emissions, 20% renewable energies and 20% energy savings by 2020: Ed). Mr Sarkozy said that, “the agreement respects the goals you set yourselves”. He acknowledged that they required compromise to reach balance, the acting president of the European Council pointed out that the derogations granted Eastern countries were motivated by necessity and that “environmental voluntarism” should not be done to the detriment of social balance in the new member states. He insisted on the importance in “not putting countries in explosive social situations or choosing between the environment and growth”. Sarkozy believes that the compromise on the table offers them, on the contrary, “sustainable and green growth by avoiding soaring prices for workers in the East, which no worker in the world would be able to bear”. In exchange, Mr Sarkozy said that Eastern countries, whose heavy industry had been sacrificed, had to make concessions and agreed to the 2005 reference year being maintained for reducing CO2 emissions after 2012. He added that he hoped MEPs would agree and, “unanimity was the guarantee of respect for our political commitments. Today I bring you the unanimous agreement of the 27 Heads of State on the energy/climate package”.
José Manuel Barroso said, on behalf of the European Commission, that concessions had been made on goals but, “we have managed to keep the reduction to at least 20% of gas emissions for 2020”. As proof: the decision was welcomed by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Banki Moon and the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention. Yvo de Boer, in Poznan, stressed the Commission president, who called on the EU to avoid a “masochistic” attitude and stated, “if we want to ask for more, we have to ask other countries to follow us and not threaten this agreement”.
Graham Watson, speaking on behalf of the ALDE regretted that the free allocations reduced revenue and made the goals a little less attainable. His group did, however, welcome the agreement and said that they would support it. He welcomed the energy savings that would allow for a raft of legislative measures and the fact that half of revenue generated by the auctions would go to reducing emissions.
Daniel Cohn-Bendit made some sharp criticism on behalf of the Greens/EFA, “the Climate Chancellor has given in to industrial interests. You have gone along with the selfishness of some while compromising with others.” He told Mr Sarkozy that, “we've moved from the 3 X 20 to the legitimacy of the 4X4 economy”. The Co-president of the Greens added, “we will vote for what is good and vote against what is bad”. He also said that he distrusted the first reading agreements which he regarded as, “blackmail”.
Brian Cowley (UEN) said that the package represented hope for the future because it avoided national problems. Jean-Louis Borloo speaking for the Council (French minister for ecology, energy and sustainable development) said that the, “pact of trust between Parliament and the Council under the vigilant eyes of the Commission” had been respected for the whole of the mechanism which would help towards a sustainable economy, “reduce CO2 emissions, prepare Copenhagen and the competitiveness of our economies for the century to come”. He also said that if this pact is not betrayed it would be thanks to the many trialogues that took place. Borloo pointed out that there would not be a division between European businesses subject to ambitious environmental restrictions and their competitors from less respectful third countries, “if Copenhagen is a success”. If derogations on paid quotas are granted to the energy sector in new member states dependent on coal, “nothing will have changed for the main part”.
The 2% solidarity that is strictly for new member states from whom “we ask for most in the great energy transition” is support towards this transition, he explained. Borloo considers that the directive on renewables and pooling effort in non-ETS sectors are close to the Commission's initial proposals. The directive on the quality of fuel is more ambitious and the regulation on CO2 reduction in private cars is more of a commitment in the long term (with a reduction goal by 2020: Ed). Borloo said that on the directive on carbon capture and storage, “the Council moved in the last few hours to approach the funding wishes of the Parliament”. Borloo said that in total the goals in the package have been respect in the six texts on which the parliament will speak on 17 December. (A.N./trans/rh)
Noting that no one in the world had announced that they were going to copy this package, Commissioner Stavros Dimas called on MEPs to adopt an agreement on first reading. “The EU is leading the way. By adopting this package tomorrow, we will confirm the role of the EU as the driver in combating climate change. This is all the more important since the countries of the world said in Poznan that they were ready to negotiate on a comprehensive agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009, and determined the work programme for this,” he said.
The final adjustments brought to the heads of state and government compromise, on which there was informal agreement between the Parliament and Council on 13 December, relate to: - the pre-allocation of revenue from the auctioning: Parliament accepted the compromise, noting member states' willingness to devote at least half of this income to action to protect the climate (emissions reductions, attenuation, adaptation, measure to prevent deforestation, development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean technologies and R&D), but it got added the possibility of paying this revenue into the Kyoto Protocol Adaptation Fund, since agreement was reached at the Poznan climate conference to make this fund operational by 2009 and to allow auction revenue to be paid into it; - carbon leakage: Parliament got added a preamble stating that, if the European Council intended to re-discuss the sectors and sub-sectors affected by relocation threats, it would be up to the Commission to take a decision, following the comitology procedure; - aviation: unable, without the will of the Parliament, to have aviation treated like the other sectors, the Council at least agreed to limit the use that aviation may make of the clean development mechanism to reduce its emissions to 1.5% of total emissions. If the Commission, Presidency and rapporteurs are to be believed, the expected adoption of the agreement by Parliament on Wednesday, while much like a formality, will nonetheless be historic. (A.N./transl.rh/rt)