Prague, 14/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Ten days after the promises of action in favour of the climate, made in Prague by Barack Obama, the Czech capital is hosting an informal meeting of EU environment ministers this 14 and 15 April. "The time has come to change the way we use energy", the American president said, going on to add that "we must face up to climate change together". In the Union, which did not wait for the American president before starting to worry about climate change, the Czech Presidency decided to base the agenda of this informal ministerial meeting around two subjects closely linked to climate protection.
The first part of the meeting was given over to problems caused by adapting to climate change and for Europe in particular, the changes which this implies to the water cycle and the countryside. Each member state will report on the concrete measures taken at national level. The Czech Presidency will present a study entitled "The European Union adapts to climate change", which follows on from the Commission's White Paper, entitled "Adapting to climate change: towards a European framework of action", and which will be used as a basis for the ministers' discussions. Among the main problems raised: funding measures to combat climate change and issues related to international sources of funding.
The meeting will then examine the strategy to be adopted at forthcoming international negotiations on climate protection post-2012. Discussions between the signatories of the United Nations framework agreement on climate change will take place at the international conference on greenhouse gas emissions, to be held in Copenhagen in October. (P.B./transl.fl)