Agreement reached on EU position ahead of climate negotiations in Copenhagen - Montesquieu Institute

The Council adopted conclusions on the EU position ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen- The Council also adopted conclusions on an EU strategy for safer and more environmentally friendly scrapping of ships and conclusions on an eco-efficient economy. Sweden’s Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren chaired the meeting.

EU position ahead of Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen

The Council adopted conclusions on the EU position ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen on 7–18 December. At the conference a new global climate agreement will be concluded for the years following 2012. This means that the EU now has a full mandate to play a proactive role in the negotiations. The most important features of the agreement are:

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  Long-term targets for the EU of 80–90 per cent emissions reductions by 2050 compared with 1990 levels.
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  Limitations on emissions from international aviation and shipping by 10 and 20 per cent respectively by 2020 compared with 2005 levels, within the framework of international agreements. This is an area with a major and growing impact on the climate.
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  Clarification of EU demands on industrialised countries and developing countries alike. Industrialised countries are to reduce their emissions by 25–40 per cent by 2020. The reductions of developing countries will be 15–30 per cent compared with a situation in which no measures had been taken.
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  Apart from previously specified criteria determined by the Council in March, the target of a maximum two-degree rise in temperature is now being emphasised as the benchmark when other countries’ emissions reductions are assessed.
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  Clarification of EU views on how to combat deforestation and conduct sustainable forestry as well as of the contributions of the agricultural and forestry sectors to achieve the climate goals.
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  Clarification of EU views on surplus emission allowances, which can affect EU environmental ambitions.  Agreement that the Assigned Amount Unit cap (AAU – maximum carbon emissions allowed) will be further dealt with within the framework of the environment ministers’ group, aiming at an agreement before Copenhagen.

The conclusions will be passed on to the meeting of the European Council on 29–30 October.

Towards an eco-efficient economy

The ministers adopted conclusions on an eco-efficient economy. The term ‘eco-efficient economy’ means a sustainable, low-carbon and resource-efficient economy, based on sustainable production and more sustainable housing and transport systems. The Council of Ministers agreed to emphasise that a shift to a more eco-efficient economy can be speeded up by a green tax shift from labour to natural resources and energy, and things that affect the environment in a negative way. The Member States are urged to undertake such a shift. The Council agrees that a more eco-efficient economy will be an important component of the Lisbon Strategy after 2010. The Council also states that the transition to an eco-efficient economy will provide new business opportunities, strengthen EU competitiveness and give scope for new jobs. The conclusions will be passed on to the meeting of the European Council on 29–30 October.

EU strategy for safer and more environmentally friendly scrapping of ships

The ministers adopted conclusions on a communication from the Commission on an EU strategy for ship dismantling. The aim of the EU strategy is to ensure that the dismantling of ships that have a connection with the EU is only carried out at safe and environmentally friendly sites. The background to the strategy is that many ships from the western world are today scrapped in locations in the world that are unsuitable from a work environment perspective. In addition, waste that is harmful to health and to the environment is not handled appropriately. The environment ministers consider that it is important that the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) swiftly enters into force. The ministers urge the European Commission to review how rules on ship recycling can be introduced at EU level.

Waste from electrical and electronic products

The Council held a ‘policy debate’ on the revision of two directives that concern waste from electrical and electronic products. The purpose of the debate is to give guidance ahead of the continued negotiations. The first directive, the WEEE Directive, deals with the prevention and handling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment. Electrical and electronic equipment can contain environmentally harmful elements such as quicksilver, lead and cadmium. The second directive, the RoHS Directive, aims to eliminate waste comprised of or containing electrical and electronic products.

A majority of the Member States feel that the directive should continue to have separate ranges, as this optimises the environmental benefits while at the same time reducing the amount of hazardous waste.

Several Member States also felt that the RoHS Directive should include all electrical products. As for the WEEE Directive, many believed that all electrical waste should be included while others believed that it is enough to list the electrical waste that is included.

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