WRITTEN QUESTION E-2823/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(8 October 2002)

Subject: Additional financial support for developing countries in implementing the Climate Convention

In its conclusions of 11 November 1999, the Development Council recognised that official development aid from the EC has several comparative advantages, which could be used to support initiatives on climate change and that this aid has a role to play in supporting the objectives of the Climate Convention and it called on the Commission to consider this further.

Following the approval by the Conference of Parties to the Climate Convention of the Bonn Agreements, the then Belgian Presidency of the Council, on behalf of the EC and its Members States as well as Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland, issued a political declaration on 23 July 2001 on additional financial aid to developing countries for implementation of the Climate Convention. In that declaration the EU and these like-minded countries together pledged to make additional resources of EUR 450 million a year available by 2005 through various channels, in particular the Global Environment Facility (GEF), through additional bilateral and

multilateral aid, via financial contributions to the three new funds set up to implement the Bonn Agreements (Least Developed Countries Fund, Special Climate Change Fund and the Kyoto Protocol Adaptation Fund) and finally through the proceeds from the levy on CDM projects introduced under the Kyoto Protocol.

At the CoP-8 conference in New Delhi, the EU will undoubtedly be challenged by the developing countries on these promises. What measures has the Commission taken since Bonn to implement the Council's request of 11 November 1999 to make additional resources available within the framework of EU development policy for support to the developing countries in implementing the Climate Convention?

Joint answerto Written Questions E-2823/02 and E-2826/02given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(26 November 2002)

Since 1999, the Commission has been very active as regards the Climate Change issue. In particular, it has kept a high profile in the negotiation process in partnership with successive Council Presidencies and with the Member States. The most prominent result is the recent ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by the Community. Many implementing activities have been launched and are on-going in the context of both internal and external policies.

Concerning the political Declaration made in July 2001, following the approval of the Bonn Agreements, the Commission is fully involved in the on-going Council discussions aiming at the finalisation of a common understanding on the distribution between the Community and its Member States of the EU share of the pledged USD 410 million. However, given that the suggestion at the time was that distribution should be calculated on the basis of the countries' CO2 emissions in 1990, i.e. according to the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) it is the Commission's view that the EU share of the pledge shall be met by the Member States, since the Community has no CO2 emissions of its own. The Commission will probably still make a contribution, even though by definition truly additional funds under the current financial perspective are not available.

Immediately after the conclusion of the Marrakesh Accords in November 2001, the Commission started working on a Communication that will serve as a basis for discussion with Member States and civil society on an EU strategy and action plan for climate change in the context of development co-operation. The Commission intends to adopt the Communication at the latest early next year.