Brussels, 14/10/2009 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in London on 13 October for the third ministerial meeting of the Carbon Capture and Storage Forum , European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs and the ministers of 21 countries (Germany, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, South Korea, Denmark, France, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and Russia) lent their support to carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology as a "key component" of the international plan to fight climate change. Shortly before the international climate conference to be held in Copenhagen this December, the ministerial declaration adopted on Tuesday unequivocally calls for support for large-scale projects, for an exchange of information and for a reinforcement of capacity in CCS, a technology which helps to reduce emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels by large emitters (coal-fired or gas-fired electricity power stations and the steel industry) by capturing CO2 and storing it underground. "Public authorities must continue to support promoting the development and deployment of CCS technologies if we want to be successful in fighting climate change. However, it is also time for significant private sector investments in order to commercialise demonstration projects and bring CCS technologies to the level of economic feasibility", said Mr Piebalgs. It is worth noting that since the European Council of December 2007, the EU has put together a full raft of legal aid, financial and industrial measures for the development of CCS technologies, including the "CCS" directive, the framework for state aid to protect the environment, and financial support of €1.05 billion to demonstration projects as part of the European economic relaunch plan. (E.H./transl.fl)