European Parliament resolution on the European Union's strategy for the Bonn Conference on Climate Change (COP-6, part 2)
Date: 2001-07-05
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: United States, climate change, environmental policy, international conference, ratification of an agreement, reduction of gas emissions

C 65 E/380

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.3.2002

Thursday 5 July 2001

3.

4.

Asks to be consulted again if the Council intends to amend the Commission proposal substantially;

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council and Commission.

25. Bonn Conference on Climate Change

B5-0473/2001

European Parliament resolution on the European Union(cid:146)s strategy for the Bonn Conference on
Climate Change (COP-6, part 2)

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) of December 1997 (1), the Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6)
in The Hague on
13-24 November 2000, and the forthcoming resumed Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6, part
2) to be held in Bonn on 16-27 July 2001,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolutions relating to climate change, notably that of 26 October 2000 on the
Commission(cid:146)s strategy for The Hague Conference on climate change (COP-6) (2)and that of 5 April
2001 on the Kyoto Conference objectives (3),

(cid:129) having regard to oral questions B5-0327/2001 and B5-0328/2001 by the Committee on the Environ-
ment, Public Health and Consumer Policy pursuant to Rule 42 of the Rules of Procedure and having
regard to the statements by the Commission and the Council,

A. whereas, according to a recent report by the International Climate Change Panel (ICCP) so provided by
broadcasts, the Earth(cid:146)s temperature is due to increase in the course of this century by between 1,4 and
5,8 (cid:176)C, largely on account of human activities; whereas the report emphasises the disastrous con-
sequences of such a phenomenon,

B. whereas, before it can enter into force, the Kyoto Protocol must be ratified by over 55 of its 84

signatories whose emissions account for at least 55 % of total greenhouse gas emissions,

C. whereas full ratification and implementation, as well as further reinforcement of the Kyoto Protocol,
are of fundamental importance in tackling the key problem of climate change and for the future of the
world(cid:146)s environment,

D. whereas the breakdown of The Hague Conference was a significant setback in this respect, and
whereas the situation has since deteriorated sharply as a result of President Bush(cid:146)s repudiation of the
Kyoto Protocol,

E. whereas it is essential that there be a successful outcome of the Bonn Conference if the current

adverse trends in climate change are to be reversed,

F. whereas the European Union and its Member States have a responsibility to proceed with the work
required under the Kyoto Protocol and to encourage other parties to follow suit; whereas Japan and
Russia should continue as constructive partners to fulfil this objective and the aim must be to bring
the USA back into the process,

G. whereas the EU delegation will have to play a major role in this process, and the European Parliament
members of this delegation should be involved in the work of the delegation to a greater extent than
in the past,

(1)
(2)
(3)

FCCC/CP/1997/L.7/Add.1.
(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 13.
(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 17.

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Calls on the Bonn Conference to maintain the central place of the Kyoto Protocol as the driving force

1.
in the fight to concentrate attention on, and find ways of combating, climate change;

Thursday 5 July 2001

Believes that the central task of the Bonn Conference will be to settle the key unresolved issues left
2.
over from The Hague, notably as regards the scope for sinks, supplementarity and the flexible mechanisms,
and compliance mechanisms, as well as assistance for developing countries affected by climate change, in
order to prepare the way for full ratification and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol;

3.
Believes the Kyoto Protocol to be the basis of, although only a first step in, a world strategy to
combat global warming and considers that the negotiations to be held in Bonn should be conducted in
complete accordance with the integrity of the Protocol; accordingly, states once again that:

(cid:129) the industrialised countries should take the lead in initiatives intended to mitigate climate change;

(cid:129) a positive list of CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) projects and technologies must be drawn up

which excludes nuclear energy, the large-scale use of fossil fuels and the use of carbon sinks;

(cid:129) internal-action policies and measures are a priority in the strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
for which reason the use of flexible mechanisms must be restricted to no more than 50 % of the total
effort;

(cid:129) the use of carbon sinks must be restricted and controlled until the necessary scientific information is

available and a supervisory scheme has been set up;

(cid:129) a stringent monitoring structure linked to a system of fines for non-compliance must be set up,
together with a monitoring fund which will enable the effects of non-compliance with the Kyoto
Protocol to be minimised;

4.
Reiterates its criticism of the unilateral US decision to reject the Kyoto Protocol as a way forward and
stresses that, after nine years of international negotiations, the Kyoto Protocol remains the only effective
instrument for combating global warming; notes the fact that the US government has not challenged the
science of climate change; hopes that the current US policy review will lead to a reassessment by the US
administration of its position and calls for further strenuous efforts by all parties to bring it back into the
Kyoto Protocol;

5.
Underlines the contradiction which exists between the fact that in 1998 the US Presidency signed the
Kyoto Protocol and the latest official US statements which withdraw all commitments relating to the fight
against global warming and are clearly opposed to this Protocol;

6.
Urges the European Union to take the lead in careful discussions with the other members of the
umbrella group, the developing countries and other parties, in order to devise an appropriate strategy for
further progress in the absence of a renewed US commitment to the Kyoto Protocol and in order to ensure
sufficient participation to meet the thresholds for entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol before the Rio+10
Conference; urges the European Union and the other Annex I parties to plan a quick ratification and entry
into force of the Protocol, even without the USA, in the run-up to COP-6, part 2, before the Rio+10
Conference in 2002;

7. Welcomes the unanimous statement by the Environment Council in June 2001 that the European
Union continues to regret the position of the USA rejecting the Kyoto Protocol and strongly urges the new
Italian government to stick to its earlier position on climate change;

8.
Notwithstanding the importance of all initiatives which endeavour to reverse the US decision to
abandon the Kyoto Protocol, considers that the European Union should give priority to negotiating the
final shape of the Kyoto Protocol with those countries which agree to ratify it;

9.
Considers that, within supranational structures (in particular the World Trade Organisation), the
European Union should launch initiatives which are designed to prevent countries which do not ratify
the Kyoto Protocol from obtaining unfair competitive advantages, particularly where energy products are
concerned;

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10.
Calls again on the EU to lead by example, by publicly restating its commitment to early implemen-
tation of policies and measures to achieve domestic emission reductions in order to make it possible to
reverse the sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions which is currently in evidence in most of the
Member States, as well as its commitment to the rapid implementation of the European Climate Change
Programme, including the EU emissions trading regime (and policy measures on, for instance, transport
emissions and non-CO2 greenhouse gases); also recommends prompt adoption of national greenhouse gas
emission-reduction plans;

Notes that the EU delegation will have a key role to play at the Bonn Conference, and believes that
11.
the European Parliament members of the delegation will have a valuable complementary role to play,
notably in working with fellow parliamentarians from other countries, especially in view of the broad
support right across the political spectrum for the EU(cid:146)s negotiating position;

Underlines the particular importance of research in any strategy against climate change; considers
12.
that it is essential that research leads to the development of new technologies in the field of renewable
energy, energy efficiency and energy savings; takes the view that environmental R & D should therefore be
promoted and adequately funded within the scope of the Sixth Framework Programme, thereby boosting
efforts to catch up with the European research backlog;

13.
Believes that, in order for the European Parliament participants to best support and advance the
EU(cid:146)s negotiating position, they need to develop, in advance and in cooperation with the other participants
in the EU delegation, a strategy for their approaches to fellow parliamentarians; considers that, for the
European Parliament participants to be most effective in this task, they need to be fully involved in the
EU delegation, in particular by attending the EU coordination meetings;

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, and to the government of the United States of America.

26. Safe operation of mining activities

A5-0214/2001

European Parliament resolution on the Commission communication on safe operation of mining
activities: a follow-up to recent mining accidents (COM(2000) 664 (cid:129) C5-0013/2001 (cid:129) 2001/
2005(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to the Commission communication (COM(2000) 664),

(cid:129) having regard to the 1991 Espoo Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboun-

dary Context,

(cid:129) having regard to the 1992 Helsinki Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents,

(cid:129) having regard to the 1992 Helsinki Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Water-

courses and International Lakes,

(cid:129) having regard to the 1998 Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in deci-

sion-making and access to justice in environmental matters,

(cid:129) having regard to Article 174 of the EC Treaty,

(cid:129) having regard to Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste (1),

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39.