MEPs: EU should give E30bn a year in climate aid

Europe should give at least E30bn annually to developing countries by 2020 to help them reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, the European Parliament's environment committee said on Tuesday.

This is twice the upper limit http://www.endseurope.com/22119?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY of what the European Commission says Europe's contribution should be. EU finance ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday failed to agree on this issue http://www.endseurope.com/22426, leaving it to European leaders to find an agreement.

On Monday, British finance minister Alistair Darling told journalists the EU should give E10bn a year to developing countries by 2020. The UK would contribute a tenth of that amount, he said. Poland http://www.endseurope.com/22282 says individual contributions should be based on the ability to pay.

On Wednesday, environment ministers will adopt a draft EU position on December's UN climate talks. European leaders are expected to endorse it at the end of the month. The parliament will vote the environment committee's resolution in November.

Follow-up: European Parliament press release

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/expert/infopress_page/064-62730-292-10-43-911-20091019IPR62729-19-10-2009-2009-false/default_en.htm

and draft resolution

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/envi/re/788/788976/788976en.pdf.

See also reaction from Green MEPs

http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/pressreleases/dok/309/309791.eu_climate_policy@en.htm

plus EU presidency statements on climate financing

http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/10/19/financing_a_key_issue_for_the_copenhagen_climate_agreement

and Copenhagen negotiations

http://www.se2009.eu/en/meetings_news/2009/10/20/eu_position_ahead_of_copenhagen_climate_change_conference_at_environment_council_in_luxembourg

and Swedish environment minister's speech in parliament

http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/player/streaming.cfm?type=ebs&sid=149077.

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