P6_TA(2004)0060

Climate Change

European Parliament resolution on the EU strategy for the Buenos Aires Conference on Climate Change (COP-10)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) of December 1997, the application procedures for its implementation adopted at the conferences of Bonn (July 2001), Marrakesh (November 2001), New Delhi (November 2002) and Milan (December 2003), and the forthcoming Tenth Conference of the Parties (COP-10) to be held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 6 and 17 December 2004,

- having regard to its resolution of 25 September 2002 on the Commission communication on the implementation of the first phase of the European Climate Change Programme [1],

- having regard to Oral Questions O-0049/04 and O-0050/04 by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety pursuant to Rule 108 of its Rules of Procedure, and having regard to the statements by the Council and the Commission,

- having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the Kyoto Protocol was ratified by the European Community on 31 May 2002 as well as by its Member States and whereas the European Parliament and the Council adopted the legislative instruments [2] necessary to implement the Kyoto Protocol provisions within the European Community, thus sending out a strong political signal about its commitment to addressing the issue of climate change,

B. whereas the Kyoto Protocol has now been ratified by 126 countries, which account for 44,2 % of total greenhouse gas emissions; whereas, however, the Protocol will enter into force only when it is ratified by countries accounting for at least 55 % of total greenhouse gas emissions,

C. whereas on 13 October 2003 the European Parliament and the Council adopted Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community [3], and whereas this important step reaffirms the political commitment of the EU and its Member States to focus on sustainable domestic actions and encourages other parties to follow suit,

D. whereas the Kyoto Protocol is only a first initiative taken by the international community in the fight against climate change, and whereas this does not mean that other measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions which can be taken at national level should be relegated to a secondary role; on the contrary, they should be considered as complementary,

1. Urges the EU to maintain its leading role in the negotiations at the COP-10 Conference in Buenos Aires;

2. Believes that COP-10 constitutes a good opportunity not only to build on the decisions taken at previous Conferences of Parties, and in particular in Bonn, Marrakesh, New Delhi and Milan, on implementing the Kyoto Protocol, but also to start a wide-ranging debate on the main issues for the second commitment period with a view to attaining the EU objective of the average global temperature increase peaking below + 2oC of pre-industrialised levels; reiterates its position that in the long term the principle of equal rights per world citizen must be applied;

3. Urges the EU and all other parties to the UNFCCC to continue the discussions started in Milan with a view to incorporating emissions from international flights and shipping into the emission reduction targets of the second commitment period from 2012; urges the EU and all other parties to the UNFCCC to also specifically monitor transport emissions and possibly develop their own protocol for transport emissions;

4. Welcomes the recent decision of the Russian Federation to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, thus enabling it to enter into force;

5. Calls, in the meantime, on the countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol to do so as soon as possible; calls on the US Government to reconsider its decision not to participate;

6. Urges the Commission and the Member States to stress the need for climate protection when holding dialogues with international partners, especially the United States and Russia, and to stress that relations between the EU and third states cannot remain unharmed in the absence of a constructive position on this matter;

7. Believes that the EU delegation has an important role to play in these negotiations on climate change and, therefore, finds it unacceptable that the members of the European Parliament who were part of that delegation were unable to attend the EU coordination meetings at the previous Conference of Parties; expects that the European Parliament participants will have access to such meetings in Buenos Aires, on the basis at least of observer status, with or without speaking rights;

8. Takes note of the latest report of the European Environment Agency which indicates, inter alia, that Europe is warming faster than the global average as a result of climate change; takes note of the climate change and warming in the arctic areas;

9. Believes that the EU should redouble its efforts to meet the Kyoto Protocol targets, and set an example for the other parties to the Convention;

10. Calls on the EU and the Member States to invest in measures for adaptation to climate change and to make available appropriate funds for developing countries to finance their adaptation;

11. Stresses the important role of both measures to enhance energy efficiency (the potential is great in the EU) and renewable energy sources in this connection and endorses the Commssion Communication on this issue (COM(2004)0366); stresses especially the potential of biomass as a CO2-neutral energy form, and calls on the Commission to assess legislative measures to support the production of energy from biomass; encourages all Member States to accept their responsibility and ensure that they meet their burden-sharing targets;

12. Calls on the Member States which have not yet developed their national allocation plans as provided for by the Emissions Trading Directive to do so as soon as possible and, when doing so, to base them on ambitious targets; urges the Commission to take immediate legal steps regarding the Member States which do not comply with the requirements of the Directive; calls on the Commission to reject national allocation plans that allow unjustified high CO2 emissions;

13. Insists that no changes to approved national allocation plans should be permitted after the 1 January 2005 date of application;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU contracting parties.

[1] OJ C 273 E, 14.11.2003, p. 172.

[2] Decision 2004/280/EC of 11 February 2004 concerning a mechanism for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the Kyoto Protocol (OJ L 49, 19.2.2004, p. 1) and Directive 2004/101/EC of 27 October 2004 amending Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community, in respect of the Kyoto Protocol's project mechanisms (OJ L 338, 13.11.2004, p. 18).

[3] OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32.

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