Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

News - 15/10/2010 By lien.vandenbossche

©Picture Council of the European Union

Flemish Minister for Environment, Nature and Culture Joke Schauvliege, who also chairs the Council, today in Luxemburg succeeded in obtaining a European consensus on the position Europe will take at the biodiversity summit in Nagoya and the climate summit in Cancún.

Biodiversity

In the run-up to the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biodiversity, the Council of Environment Ministers reached agreement on the European position to be taken in Nagoya (Japan). The ministers congratulated the presidency with its constructive approach leading to this agreement.

The ministers emphasised their ambitious yet realistic target for the new Strategic Plan 2011-2020. They recognised the need for sufficient financing, both from public and private sources, through new financial mechanisms. The integration of biodiversity in other sectors is crucial for stopping the decline. Biodiversity is linked to climate, desertification and financial hardship. For this reason the Council asks for increased cooperation between the Rio Conventions. The Council intends to reach an agreement in Nagoya on access to and honest sharing of benefits from the use of genetic resources (ABS – Access and Benefit Sharing).

In addition, the Council intends to set up an international scientific forum (IPBES – Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services) to support biodiversity policy and work towards a better protection of marine biodiversity.

Minister Schauvliege: “In doing so, the Council of Environment Ministers gives a strong signal to stop the loss of biodiversity by 2020 and to restore the situation as far as possible. We are now going to Nagoya with a unanimous, ambitious yet flexible position.”

Climate

Regarding the climate, the Council continues to advocate one legally binding global Climate Agreement. This must build on the Copenhagen Agreement and adopt the main elements from the Kyoto Protocol. As far as the EU is concerned, this instrument must be both ambitious and effective and guarantee integrity for the environment.

For the first time the Council is prepared to accept a second Kyoto period as long as the prospect exists of all the major economies committing themselves. Minister Schauvliege also presented a report on how Europe could go further than a 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Minister Schauvliege: “Europe has today achieved an important breakthrough by reaching this common position on both climate and biodiversity. With the support of the 27 Member States we now move to the international negotiating table confidently.”