26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/1
II
(PreparatoryActs)
ECONOMIC ANDSOCIALCOMMITTEE
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilDecisionconcerningtheconclusionoftheFramework
ConventiononClimateChange(*)
(93/C201/01)
On8January1993theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle130SoftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheSectionforProtectionoftheEnvironment ,PublicHealthandConsumerAffairs,which
wasresponsibleforpreparingtheCommittee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon
4May1993.TheRapporteurwasMrSilva.
Atits306thPlenarySession(meetingof26May1993),theEconomicandSocialCommittee
unanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
change,depletionoftheozonelayeranddefores­
tation—hasledtheStatesoftheOrganizationofEcon­
omicCooperationandDevelopment (OECD),the
countriesofCentralandEasternEurope,andthe
developingnationstoattempttoreachaconsensuson
internationally acceptablemeasures.1.Introduction
1.1.Thereisnowgrowinginternationalconsensus
aboutthenatureandoriginofcertainglobalphenom­
enawhichthreatenecologicalbalanceandliebehind
climatechangesandthedepletionoftheozonelayer.
1.4.TheUNframeworkconventiononclimate
changeisconcreteevidenceofthisrealizationofthe
ecologicaldangersthataredamagingtheearth'sbasic
ecosystemsandthreateningitsfuture.1.2.Thereisalsogrowingsupportfortheviewthat
thepresentsystemofgrowthanditsconcomitants ,
including:
—non-sustainable economicgrowth;
—productionstructuresthatrelyheavilyonfossil
fuels;
—worlddemographicgrowthandtheconsequentrise
infood,energyandotherrequirements ;
—povertyandunregulatedurbanization ,mainlyin
thedevelopingnations;
—ecologicallyharmfulconsumerpractices;
areupsettingtheecologicalbalanceatregional,national
andworldlevel,anddrainingnaturalresources.1.5.Theconventionwouldalsoseemindicativeofa
concertedreadinessonthepartoftheinternational
communitytorethinkhumankind'srelationswithits
planet.
1.3.Forseveralyearsnow,awarenessofthethreats
cloudingourfuture—andmoreespecially,climate1.6.Thispositive(albeitbelated)shiftinoutlook
presupposesanewpatternofsustainabledevelopment
inwhichenvironmental protectionandthemanagement
ofnaturalresourcesoccupyakeypart. (i)OJNoC44,16.2.1993,p.1.

NoC201/2 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities26.7.93
2.TheroleoftheEC
2.1.TheEChasassumedamajorroleinthedefi­
nitionofaglobalstrategytostabilizegreenhousegas
emissions,hencehelpingtotacklethisseriousenviron­
mentalproblem.ferencewiththeclimatesystem...withinatime-frame
sufficienttoallowecosystemstoadaptnaturallyto
climatechange,toensurethatfoodproductionisnot
threatenedandtoenableeconomicdevelopmentto
proceedinasustainablemanner.'
3.1.3.TheCommitteefeelsitusefultoexplainits
stanceindetail,andtodrawattentiontocertain
implementingandinformation-related problemsthat
nowarise,inordertohelpensurethattheconvention
isimplementedaseffectivelyaspossible.2.2.TheDublinEuropeanCouncilofJune1990
stressedthattheECanditsMemberStatesbeara
specialresponsibilityforpromotinginternationalaction
tocombatglobalenvironmentalproblems.
4.Generalconsiderationsandrecommendations
2.3.TheECanditsMemberStatestookpartinthe
negotiationoftheframeworkconventiononclimate
change,andsigneditinRiofollowingtheEnvironment
Councilmandateof26May1992. 4.1.Differentiatedresponsibilities
4.1.1.TheCommitteestronglysupports.the
importantcommitmentofthecontractingpartiesto
worktowardstheachievementoftheultimateobjective
'onthebasisofequityandinaccordancewiththeir
commonbutdifferentiatedresponsibilitiesandrespect­
ivecapabilities.'Thedevelopednationsarethusto'take
thelead',givingfullconsiderationto'thespecificneeds
andspecialcircumstancesofdevelopingcountryParties,
especiallythosethatareparticularlyvulnerable...(or)
wouldhavetobearadisproportionate orabnormal
burden.'2.4.InAnnexIIItothepresentdraftDecision,the
CommunityreaffirmsitscommitmenttostabilizeC02
emissionsbytheyear2000attheir1990levelinthe
Communityasawhole.
2.4.1.AlthoughtheCommitteeisawareofcertain
difficultiesinimplementingtheDecision,itisconfident
thattheplannedemissionslevelwillbefullyattained
ifallthenecessarymeasuresaretakenasswiftlyas
possible.
4.2.Basicprinciples2.5.Whendealingwithinternationalconventionsit
isnecessarytoavoidtheadoptionofnon-essential
measuressincethesecouldhaveanadverseimpacton
theEuropeanbusinesseconomy,andthiscouldinturn
alsohavesocialimplications .
3.Ratificationoftheconvention4.2.1.Ofvitalimportanceisthecommitmenttobe
guidedbytwobasicprinciples :
—wheretherearethreatsofseriousorirreversible
damage,lackoffullscientificcertaintyisnottobe
usedasareasonforpostponingsuchmeasures;
—themeasuresadopted,includingunilateralones,
shouldnotconstituteameansofarbitraryorunjust­
ifiablediscrimination oradisguisedrestrictionon
international trade.3.1.TheESCfavoursratificationandimplementation
oftheconvention
3.1.1.HavingcarefullyexaminedthedraftDecision
anditsAnnexes,theCommitteestronglysupportsthe
proposaltoensurepromptratificationandeffective
implementation oftheconventionbytheCommunity
anditsMemberStates.4.3.Programmesandothermainmeasures
4.3.1.Thevariousformsofinterventioncontained
inthegeneralstrategyareinkeepingwiththeundertak­
ingsmadeandwiththedifferingrequirementsand
circumstances :nationalinventoriesofgreenhousegas
emissions;nationalandregionalprogrammes ;cooper­3.1.2.TheCommitteefullyendorsesthegeneral
approachandkeyobjectiveof'stabilizationofgreen­
housegasconcentrations intheatmosphereatalevel
thatwouldpreventdangerousanthropogenic inter­

26.7.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC201/3
ationarrangements (technologytransfer,controland
reductionofemissionsinallrelevantsectors:energy,
transport,construction,agriculture,forestryandwaste
management);sinksandreservoirsofallgreenhouse
gases,includingbiomass,forestsandoceansaswell
asotherterrestrial,coastalandmarineecosystems;
integratedplansforvariouszones,andmoreparticu­
larlyforAfricanareashitbydroughtanddesertification
orfloods;social,economicandenvironmentalpolicies;
scientificresearch;improvingpublicawareness;com­
municationtotheConferenceoftheParties.
4.3.2.TheCommitteeparticularlyappreciatesthe
implementingproceduresandinstruments .Theseare
streamlinedandclear-cut,leavingsufficientroomfor
initiativeandforthenecessaryagreements :Conference
oftheParties(thesupremebody);secretariat;subsidiary
bodyforscientificandtechnologicaladvice;subsidiary
bodyforimplementation ;financialmechanism;system
forthecommunication ofinformation ;systemforthe
settlementofdisputes;amendingmechanism.5.2.Implementingarrangements (AnnexIItothe
Report)
5.2.1.TheCommitteecallsonthepartiesto
implementtheinterimarrangementsswiftlyandprop­
erly,particularlyasregardsmakingvoluntarycontri­
butionstothecostsoftheinterimmeasuresandensur­
ingfullandeffectiveparticipationofdeveloping
nations.
5.3.Preparationofthenextconference
5.3.1.TheCommitteecallsontheorganizersofthe
nextconferencetomakemaximumuseofthelessons
learntatRio,soastoensurethatthenumberof
participantsisneithertoolowortoohigh.Tofacilitate
globaldebateandunderstanding ,itisdesirablethatno
justifiedrequestforparticipationbeturneddown;but
norshouldtherebeadisproportionate increaseinthe
numberofparticipants .Thisismadeparticularly
importantbythefactthat,asatRio,parallelinitiatives
andmeetingsarelikely,andthesecoulddrawonthe
contributionsofotherpartiesactiveinthesamesphere.
5.4.TheEC'scontributiontomethodology
5.4.1.TheCommitteecallsontheECtoextend
thecontributionithasalreadymadeintheareaof
methodology ,forexampleestablishmentofthemech­
anismformonitoringemissions,togetherwithother
measuresalreadyadoptedorinthepipeline.
5.4.2.Asregardsthemethodologybeingsetupby
theOECD,whichshouldbereadybytheendofthis
year,theCommitteeurgestheCommunitytohelp
byofferingitsowncomparabledataandcomments,
bearinginmindthatasthemethodologyforC02has
alreadybeenperfected,attentionshouldnowfocuson
othergasesandelements.5.Commentsandrecommendations onimplemen­
tation
5.1.Ratificationdeadlines
5.1.1.Sincethedifferentsituationsfacedbythepar­
tiesarelikelytopreventsomeofthemfromratifying
theconventionpromptly,itisdesirablefortheECand
MemberStatestoratifyitassoonaspossible,bearing
inmindthatsuchdevelopednationsasCanadaandthe
UnitedStateshavealreadydoneso.
DoneatBrussels,26May1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN