European Parliament resolution on the Seminar of Governmental Experts on Climate Change
Date: 2005-05-12
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: climate change, environmental policy, exchange of information, greenhouse gas, pollution control measures, reduction of gas emissions

C 92 E/384

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

20.4.2006

Thursday 12 May 2005

4.

Urges the Commission and the Member States in particular to aim to ensure that

— precise provisions are laid down to guarantee efficient and comprehensive public participation in deci-

sion making concerning GMOs, if appropriate by amending the Convention and its annexes;

— a permanent system of financial arrangements is established to guarantee funding on a predictable

basis;

— the compliance mechanism is further improved, based on the experience gained;

Urges the Commission and the Member States to continue legislative work with the aim of adopting a

5.
legislative instrument which implements Article 9 of the Convention within the European Union;

in
Expresses support for the work of other relevant international organisations and Conventions,
6.
particular the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; considers, however, that the Aarhus Convention is the com-
petent forum for deliberating on horizontal principles of public access to information, participation and
access to justice in environmental matters;

7.
Urges the countries which have not yet done so to ratify the Aarhus Convention and the Kiev Protocol
on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers and to encourage other countries outside the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe to become parties to the Convention if they so wish;

8.
Believes that Members of the European Parliament who are part of the EC delegation have an essential
contribution to make and expects, therefore, that they will have access to EU coordination meetings in
Almaty, on the basis of at least observer status with or without speaking rights;

9.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and
parliaments of the Member States and the Secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe, with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU contracting parties.

P6_TA(2005)0177

Climate Change

European Parliament resolution on the Seminar of Governmental Experts on Climate Change

The European Parliament,

— having regard to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) of 11 December 1997, and the application procedures for its implementation adopted at the
Conferences of parties in Bonn (July 2001), Marrakesh (November 2001), New Delhi (November 2002),
Milan (December 2003) and Buenos Aires (December 2004),

— having regard to the Decision of the 10th Conference of parties to convene in May 2005 a Seminar of
Governmental Experts in order to promote an informal exchange of information on actions relating to
mitigation and adaptation to assist parties to continue to develop effective and appropriate responses to
climate change, and on policies and measures adopted by their respective governments that support
implementation of their existing commitments under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol,

— having regard to its resolutions relating to climate change, notably that of 13 January 2005 on the

outcome of the Buenos Aires Conference on climate change (1),

— having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0005.

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C 92 E/385

A. whereas climate change is one of the major challenges of the 21st century, having significant negative
global environmental, economic and social consequences, and is expected to impinge negatively on
sustainable development and the livelihoods of millions of people all over the world,

Thursday 12 May 2005

B. whereas the UNFCCC, which entered into force on 21 March 1994 and has now been ratified by
189 parties, sets out a framework for action aimed at stabilising atmospheric concentrations of green-
house gases in order to avoid ‘dangerous anthropogenic interference’ with the climate system,

C. whereas the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC entered into force on 16 February 2005 following ratifi-
cation by 146 countries and regional economic integration organisations representing 61,6 % of 1990
Annex I greenhouse gas emissions,

D. whereas the Kyoto Protocol establishes binding emission reduction targets for the Annex I countries for
the period 2008-2012; whereas the Protocol further establishes that commitments for subsequent
periods shall start to be considered at least seven years before the end of the first commitment period,

E. whereas the 10th Conference of parties (COP 10) meeting in Buenos Aires in December 2004 decided
to convene in May 2005 a Seminar of Governmental Experts to promote exchange of information
among the parties on mitigation and adaptation actions and on policies and measures supporting the
implementation of existing commitments,

F. whereas developed countries have a major responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and should
therefore play a leading role in the process to reduce emissions; whereas the European Parliament has
consistently called for the EU to maintain such a leading role,

G. whereas the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol are an essential condition for a global strategy on climate
change, but further targets need to be set soon for the period after 2012 to provide investment cer-
tainty for low-carbon energy sources, low greenhouse-gas emitting technologies and renewable energy,
and to avoid investment into incompatible energy infrastructure; whereas addressing climate change
also brings opportunities and incentives for innovation in line with goals set by the Lisbon agenda,

H. whereas the objective of restricting global average temperature rise to a maximum of 2 °C above pre-
industrialisation levels should also be established within the framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto
Protocol,

I. whereas, according to recent scientific reports, the risk of overshooting the + 2 °C limit is approximately
85 % with greenhouse gas concentrations stabilised at the level of 550 ppm (CO2-eq) and approximately
50 % at the level of 450 ppm; whereas these reports, therefore, emphasise that the world may have far
less time to start reducing total greenhouse gas emissions than previously anticipated if it is to avoid
going beyond an average global temperature increase of 2 °C above pre-industrialisation levels and thus
avoid dangerous climate change; whereas this may necessitate deeper cuts in emissions in the near
future, for all major emitters of greenhouse gases, thus strongly emphasising the importance of a
wider global effort,

1. Welcomes the decision taken at Buenos Aires to hold a Seminar of Governmental Experts; regrets,
however, that the 10th Conference of parties, in spite of the efforts of the EU delegation, only agreed a very
narrow mandate for this meeting;

2.
Strongly believes that the European Union should retain its leading role in international efforts to fight
climate change; stresses that a three-prong approach will be necessary to underpin the EU's climate policy at
home: yearly reductions in the energy intensity of the EU economy in the range of 2 to 2,5 %, a significant
increase in the share of alternative energy in the overall energy mix and substantial increases in the support

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20.4.2006

Thursday 12 May 2005

for R & D in sustainable energy; emphasises that the transportation sector presents a major challenge, and
that new and innovative policies are needed to curb emissions from road transport, aviation and shipping,
and urges the Commission to bring forward proposals for cost-effective measures to tackle these problems;

3. Welcomes the conclusions adopted by the Brussels European Council of 22 and 23 March 2005 and,
in particular, the fact that reduction targets in the order of 15 to 30 % by 2020 for the group of developed
countries have been agreed upon; regrets, however, that no indication was given by the European Council
with regard to longer-term reduction targets and suggests that reductions in the order of 60 to 80 % by
2050 be required;

4.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to present, on behalf of the European Union, at the
forthcoming Seminar of Governmental Experts proposals for a future regime which are consistent with the
EU objective of maintaining the average global temperature increase below 2 °C above pre-industrialisation
levels, implying that global greenhouse gas emissions would have to peak within the next two decades, and
which respect the principles of equity, sustainability, responsibility and ability or capacity to act;

5.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to put forward proposals for a future strategy buil-
duing on the Kyoto Protocol and based on eco-innovation and development of environmental technologies,
especially targeting the energy and transport sectors, and to give special priority to this within relevant
policy initiatives such as the Environmental Technologies Action Plan, the seventh framework programme
for research, etc.; efforts should be made to cooperate with various countries, notably the most advanced
developing countries;

Insists that the Seminar of Governmental Experts focus on how to develop effective and appropriate
6.
responses to climate change within the framework of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol for the period
beyond 2012; asks that a written report on the results of the Seminar be published with a view to feeding
back into the formal negotiations for the post-2012 commitment period which will start in 2005;

7.
Believes that a future regime should be based on common but differentiated responsibilities, continued
and greater emission reductions, and the involvement of more countries in the reduction effort, notably on
the one hand the US, and on the other hand India and China and other advanced developing countries;
urges the Commission and the Member States, therefore, to stress the necessity of climate protection when
holding dialogues with international partners, especially the US, China and India;

8.
Considers that internationally competing companies, in particular energy-intensive industries, require a
sector approach to future international reduction targets in order to ensure an international level playing
field; calls on the Commission and the Member States to incorporate such a sector approach in the dis-
cussions;

9.

Recognises the possible threat of carbon leakage to more advanced developing countries;

10.
Calls on the countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol to do so as soon as possible; calls on
the US and Australia to reconsider their decision not to participate and, as a first step, to respect their
commitment under the UNFCCC to reduce their emissions to the 1990 level;

11.
Calls on the Commission to take into account in any cost-benefit analyses of climate policies the
possibility to adopt border adjustment measures on trade in order to offset any competitive advantage
producers in industrialised countries without carbon constraints might have;

12.
Insists on the need for increased financial assistance for adjustment measures in developing countries,
with special attention for the least-developed countries; stresses, moreover, that economic development is a
right for all developing countries; recognises, however, that developing countries do not have to repeat the
same polluting practices as the industrialised countries, and that strong mechanisms should be developed by
the EU, e.g. through the export credit agencies of EU Member States, to lend support to technology leap-
frogging in the energy and transport sectors of developing countries in order to encourage low-carbon
modes of development;

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Thursday 12 May 2005

13.
Calls on the Commission and the Member States to make measurable progress towards a low-carbon
economy; encourages the Member States to share experiences and best practices both among themselves
and with states in other parts of the world;

14.
Calls on the forthcoming UK and Austrian Presidencies to ensure that the momentum on climate
change is maintained and even accelerated, whilst increasing the level of commitment and the number of
international partners within the process;

15.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments
and parliaments of the Member States and the Secretariat of the UNFCCC, with the request that it be
circulated to all non-EU contracting parties.

P6_TA(2005)0178

Situation in Sudan

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Sudan

The European Parliament,

— having regard to all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 1593 (2005) on the
situation in Sudan and Resolution 1564 (2004), pursuant to which the report of the International
Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the UN Secretary-General of 25 January 2005 was presented,

— having regard to the Darfur Plan of Action agreed between the UN and the Government of Sudan on

5 August 2004,

— having regard to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed between the government of Sudan

and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) on 9 January 2005 in Nairobi,

— having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2004 on the humanitarian situation in Sudan (1), and
the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly Resolution ACP-EU 3777/05 of 21 April 2005 on the situ-
ation in Sudan,

— having regard to the United Nations Sudan Situation Report of 26 April 2005,

— having regard to Rule 108(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas the CPA provides for separate armed forces, with the withdrawal of 91 000 government troops
from the south within two and a half years and of the SPLA from the north within eight months, an
equal division of oil wealth and elections after three years,

B. whereas the UN Security Council decided, in its resolution 1593 (2005), to refer the situation in Darfur

since July 2002 to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court,

C. whereas the signing of the Naivasha peace accords on 31 December 2004 is welcome, but violence
from all sides continues in Darfur, with the Sudan government continuing to breach the ceasefire
agreement with air attacks and failing to disband the Janjaweed and bring those responsible to justice;
whereas it is concerned about the recent dramatic increase in breaches of the ceasefire by rebels,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2004)0012.