Baltic and European news
Ministers chew over EU climate package
2578, 04/07/08
The EU will only be able to agree its 20-20-20 climate and energy package if countries have flexibility over emission targets and poorer member states are given financial assistance, environment ministers from the bloc's 27 member states agreed on Friday.
The ministers met in Paris to discuss plans to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent and boost renewable energy to 20 per cent by 2020. The new EU president France is aiming to bring all governments to an agreement on the package by December.
There was consensus on Friday that at least some progress had been made. Swedish environment minister Andreas Carlgren told journalists he was optimistic that governments would agree not only between themselves, but also with the European parliament this year.
During the meeting, France proposed a road map for adopting the package. Ministers were asked to stress key conditions. Apart from flexibility and support mechanisms, ministers cited safeguards against "carbon leakage", aimed at preventing Europe's energy-intensive industries relocating to developing countries.
Such safeguards would only be implemented if world governments fail to reach a global climate agreement next year. Ministers want criteria for identifying vulnerable sectors, and options for safeguarding their competitiveness by 2010 (EED 14/03/08 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/25055).
Several countries are demanding flexibility on how they meet their share of the overall 20 per cent emissions reduction target. Luxembourg argues that it has little control over, for example, its transport emissions and wants to be able to sponsor emission reduction projects in other EU countries.
There was broad support for a commission proposal to allocate 10 per cent of EU ETS carbon allowances auctioned by EU governments to help the bloc's poorer countries. Some new member states want this figure to be raised, arguing that their economies and energy security would otherwise be put at risk.
During the meeting, a group of countries led by Hungary and Poland appeared to draw back slightly on demands for the official baseline for the 2020 targets to revert to 1990 rather than 2005 as the commission has proposed. Measuring CO2 against 1990 tends to flatter the ex-eastern bloc countries, whose heavy industries collapsed in the years immediately after.
There was still strong opposition to a commission proposal that at least 20 per cent of revenues from auctioning carbon allowances should be used to fund climate-related activities (EED 12/02/08 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/24821). The main opponents include Germany and the UK, ENDS understands.
Other discussions included genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and a possible review of EU risk assessment procedures. French junior environment minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet insisted discussions were not intended to significantly change existing rules but merely to improve them. Discussions will continue at the next meeting of environment ministers in October.
Follow-up: French presidency webpage http://www.eu2008.fr/PFUE/lang/en/accueil, plus a press release
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