European Parliament resolution on the outcome of the Bonn Conference on climate change
Date: 2001-09-06
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: climate change, environmental policy, environmental protection, greenhouse gas, international agreement, international conference, reduction of gas emissions

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Calls for the conciliation procedure to be initiated should the Council intend to depart from the text

3.
approved by Parliament;

4.

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

Thursday 6 September 2001

7. Outcome of the Bonn Conference on climate change

B5-0539, 0540, 0541, 0543, 0551 and 0552/2001

European Parliament resolution on the outcome of the Bonn Conference on climate change

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
in The Hague on

(UNFCCC) of December 1997,
the Sixth Conference of
13-24 November 2000, and the last Conference in Bonn (COP-6, part 2) on 16-27 July 2001,

the Parties (COP-6)

(cid:129) having regard to the next Marrakech Conference (COP-7) which will take place at the end of October

and in early November 2001,

(cid:129) having regard to the statement made by Commissioner Wallstr(cid:246)m on 4 September 2001,

(cid:129) having regard to its resolutions relating to climate change, notably that of 5 July 2001 on the Euro-

pean Union(cid:146)s strategy for the Bonn Conference (COP-6, part 2) (1),

A. whereas full ratification and implementation are of fundamental importance in tackling the key prob-

lem of climate change and for the future of the world(cid:146)s environment,

B. 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,

C. whereas the European Union delegation will have to play a major role in this process, and the Euro-
pean Parliament participants should continue to be involved in the work of the delegation to a greater
extent than in the past,

D. whereas the US Administration has not yet reconsidered its negative decision in spite of strong inter-
national condemnation and the political and diplomatic initiatives taken by the EU in order to resolve
differences, nor yet produced any suggestions of its own to reverse the process of global warming, and
whereas it welcomes the decision of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations which passed a
unanimous amendment calling on the US to re-engage at COP-7,

E. whereas developed countries, including the US, have a major responsibility for greenhouse gas emis-
sions; whereas those countries should therefore play a leading role in the Kyoto process; whereas in its
resolution of 5 April 2001 (2) the European Parliament urged the Commission and the Member States
of the EU to maintain such a leading role,

1. Welcomes the international agreement to a set of decisions to speed up action on climate change, as
reached on 23 July 2001 in Bonn by more than 180 countries, including Japan, Australia, Canada and
Russia, but with the notable exception of the US; considers that this agreement gives new impetus to the
Kyoto Protocol and is an essential instrument for the implementation of a world strategy against global
warming; considers, furthermore, that the Bonn agreement is an important step towards the emergence of
a global and multilateral decision-making process in the field of the environment;

(1)
(2)

(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 25.
(cid:145)Texts Adopted(cid:146), Item 17.

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2.
Strongly believes that the European Union should retain its lead role in international efforts to fight
climate change and, therefore, calls on the Commission to present urgently a proposal to ratify the Kyoto
Protocol, before the Marrakech Conference, and encourages all national governments to present as soon as
possible a legislative proposal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to their national Parliaments in order to meet
the thresholds for entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol before the Rio+10 Conference in September
2002;

Urges the Commission to present by the end of the year concrete Directive proposals on the flexible
3.
mechanism (emissions trading regime) for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and also on the European
Climate Change Programme, containing sectoral measures to reduce these emissions, especially concerning
transport emissions, which are increasing faster, and calls on the Commission to consider legislation on
CO2 limits for all kinds of vehicle;

4.
Calls on the Commission to encourage all Member States to adopt as soon as possible their own
national greenhouse gas emission-reduction plans; expresses its satisfaction that the Bonn agreement
refrains from using nuclear power to obtain carbon credits and provides an early start and streamlined
procedures for small and renewable energy projects;

5.
Strongly believes that the Bonn Conference not only gives a positive message for the fight against
climate change but also constitutes a very positive message for all citizens concerned about globalisation;

6.
Considers that the statement in Bonn by US businesses shows that they are concerned by the long-
term disadvantage for the US of not being a party to the Kyoto Protocol, especially in terms of clean
technologies and energy efficiency; notes with interest that the reactions of several American scientists
and economists in newspapers and of American NGOs and citizens give reason to hope that the US
Administration could change its position; suggests that COP-9 in 2003 should be held in the United States
with international carbon trading, which is due to start in 2008, as one of its main topics;

7.
Supports the decision on the establishment of a specific fund for the financing of measures aimed at
helping developing countries to adapt to climate change and providing them with new environmentally
friendly technologies, and considers it an appropriate first step to address the need for solidarity between
developed and developing countries;

8. Welcomes the establishment of a clear mechanism to control and promote compliance by the parties
with their respective emission objectives; regrets, however, the shortcomings of the agreement with regard
to penalties but considers that the (cid:145)enforcement branch(cid:146) responsible for the determination of possible non-
compliance should be the basis for a future, effective and stronger legal instrument together with appropri-
ate sanctions;

9.
Regrets the imbalance of the Bonn agreement as regards the importance attached to the respective
instruments for a strategy against climate change; refers to its resolution of 26 October 2000 (1) concern-
ing a European climate change programme which stated, in particular, that

(cid:129) carbon sinks are scientifically questionable and should be used in conjunction with monitoring and to

a limited extent only;

(cid:129) there should be a similar limitation of the use of flexible mechanisms such as emissions trading;

10.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to take further initiatives to develop an EU strategy
based on those principles and more generally on the European Parliament(cid:146)s recommendations as expressed
in the above-mentioned resolution; in particular, calls on the Commission to present as soon as possible its
communication based on the European Climate Change Programme,
including concrete proposals for
measures in all relevant sectors;

(1) OJ C 197, 12.7.2001, p. 397.

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Thursday 6 September 2001

Urges the Member States to follow the recent lead of Norway and not to use the possibility of

11.
domestic sinks to meet their Kyoto target, as provided in the final Bonn agreement;

Considers that the entrance of (cid:145)hot air(cid:146) into the European Union must be made conditional on the
12.
use of green funds in Russia and Ukraine: all funds arising from the sale of (cid:145)hot air(cid:146) must be used for
projects which have an environmental benefit;

13.
Reiterates that the Kyoto process is only a basis for further work in response to climate change;
calls therefore on the contracting parties and particularly the industrialised countries to adopt further
ambitious reduction targets;

14.
Underlines that cooperation with the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council was
constructive and hopes that the Marrakech Conference will enhance this collaboration and the role of the
European Parliament in this process;

15.
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.

8. Strategy for Creating a Safer Information Society

A5-0284/2001

Recommendation of the European Parliament on the Strategy for Creating a Safer Information
Society by Improving the Security of Information Infrastructures and Combating Computer-
related Crime (2001/2070(COS))

The European Parliament,

(cid:129) having regard to Article 39(3) of the Treaty on European Union, which allows the European Parlia-

ment to make recommendations to the Council,

(cid:129) taking account of the Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament, the Econ-
omic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions (cid:145)Creating a Safer Information Society
by Improving the Security of Information Infrastructures and Combating Computer-related Crime(cid:146)
(COM(2000) 890),

(cid:129) having regard to its previous resolutions relating to information technology, such as the resolutions on

copyright and e-commerce,

(cid:129) bearing in mind the recent work and findings in the same field by the G8, the OECD, the United
Nations and the Council of Europe and by industry representatives, law enforcement agencies, and
privacy protection bodies,

(cid:129) having regard to Rule 107 of its Rules of Procedure,

(cid:129) having regard to the report of the Committee on Citizens(cid:146) Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home
Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market and the Com-
mittee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (A5-0284/2001),

A.

B.

concerned by the legal conflicts which could arise from the implementation of the Council of Europe
Cybercrime Convention, Member State legislation and Community and European Union laws,

bearing in mind that adequate data protection is a necessary condition for consumer trust and for a
reliable and free flow of information,