The challenges awaiting the EU at the forthcoming UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen were presented by Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas to MEPs of the Environment Committee on Wednesday (04/11). Members then quizzed the Commissioner on the financing and efficiency of new measures to combat climate change.

Commissioner Dimas, who told MEPs that he was probably speaking to them as Environment Commissioner for the last time, praised the key role of Parliament in shaping EU environmental policies, in particular in the field of climate change. On the issue of ongoing negotiations in preparation for the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change (COP 15), Mr Dimas identified three major challenges:

- how to guarantee that developing countries accept ambitious goals for emissions reductions,

- how to lower emissions in industrialised economies, and,

- where to find the necessary funding to help developing countries meet the targets.

"We are calling upon developing countries to follow the European example in reducing emissions by pledging to cut them by 30% by 2020," said the Commissioner, adding that a formula for evaluating CO2 cuts in developing countries should take in account the different local conditions specific to each country. Mr Dimas was also critical of the United States, Russia, Ukraine and Canada for not setting more ambitious targets for emissions reductions: "If industrialised countries don't do their bit, we can't expect others to do theirs", he said.

The fight against climate change could cost 20 to 50 billion euro a year after 2020, Mr Dimas said.

Chairman of the Environment Committee, Jo LEINEN, said that the "EU needs to take up the leadership for a binding and ambitious global agreement. Year 2020 must become the turning point for global greenhouse gas emissions. The EU must become the leader of a low-carbon economy, to protect the climate and create new jobs."

Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (EPP-ED, DE) was eager for more information on the EU's negotiating strategy as well as feedback from Tuesday's EU-US summit on the American position regarding emissions reduction commitments. However, Commissioner Dimas did not elaborate on these issues.

Linda McAVAN (S&D, UK) asked for more details on financial commitments and was worried that the rejection of legislation on carbon leakage could pose a problem, to which the Commissioner replied that the legislation could still be revised later in 2010, after an agreement is reached in Copenhagen.

Chris DAVIES (ALDE, UK) was curious about changes in setting the targets, which were presented in September as aiming for an offset of the temperature rise by 2°C in all industrialised countries. Mr Dimas said that those were negotiating positions and that the EU would be pushing for a clear, ambitious and legally binding document for all parties.

Satu HASI (Greens/EFA, FI) expressed concern over the possibility of industry lobbies watering down the agreement, and Miroslav OUZKÝ (ECR, CZ) warned that the international problem for the future reduction of emissions would probably not be China but India.

Oreste ROSSI (EFD, IT) was disappointed because in his opinion an agreement would favour non-European businesses by allowing the transfer of technologies towards developing countries. Commissioner Dimas replied that the opposite was in fact correct, because an agreement would help develop a "green economy" in Europe, thus opening new possibilities and creating new jobs.
 
(European Parliament, 04/11/2009)