Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-12-04-Speech-4-009"
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"en.20081204.3.4-009"2
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"I would like to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today on this very important issue. The package of measures on climate and energy proposed by the Commission is one of the most significant initiatives undertaken by the European Union during the past years. With these measures, the European Union will not only meet its environmental goals but at the same time it will make a decisive contribution to the new international agreements to combat climate change. Adopting this package of measures on climate and energy is necessary in order for the European Union to maintain its international credibility.
Today’s discussion coincides with the International Convention on Climate, taking place in Poznań, Poland. It is therefore inevitable that today’s audience includes the European Union as well as the Poznań negotiators and the international community in general. The measures will facilitate the European Union’s transition to a low carbon emissions economy. Furthermore, it will give European industry the opportunity to play a leading international role in clean technologies and will therefore give it a competitive advantage.
The current economic crisis cannot become a reason for apathy; on the contrary, it is a further incentive for us to take measures on climate change. It is in times such as the current financial crisis that we need to make the consumption and production of natural resources and products more cost effective and efficient. Moreover, by saving energy and improving our energy supply, we can boost the European Union’s energy security by reducing oil and natural gas imports. The move to a low carbon emissions economy will encourage innovation, will provide new investment opportunities and will create new green jobs. This is the reason why the package of measures on climate change and energy is part of the solution to today’s crisis. It provides the basis for a new, green deal that will enhance the competitiveness of the European industry at international level.
I would like to thank the European Parliament, the Presidency and the Council for their excellent cooperation with the Commission both on the package of measures on climate change and energy as well as on relevant proposals for cars and carbon dioxide and the directive on fuel quality. There has been significant progress on the various issues that concern us and I am sure that we will reach an agreement at first reading. The final agreements must maintain the whole architecture of the Commission proposal and our environmental goals, as well as guarantee fair effort sharing among Member States.
I would like to comment briefly on the revision of the greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. In order to achieve our environmental goals, the ceilings in the emissions trading scheme must guarantee a 21% emission reduction by 2020 in comparison to the 2005 levels. This is a key point of the Commission’s proposal.
I would like to say a few words on the issue regarding the risk of carbon dioxide leakage. The international agreement on climate change is the most effective way of tackling that danger. Any solutions to be agreed upon in the package of measures, need to support the international agreement on the one hand, and need to be workable. The discussion regarding this issue between the Council of Ministers, the European Parliament and the Commission is still continuing at a fast pace. I believe that a satisfactory solution will be found that will totally respect the environmental goals of the Commission proposal.
Regarding the system for effort sharing among the Member States outside the trading scheme, the Council and the European Parliament have made significant progress on a number of issues. One of the main issues in our discussion was to find an appropriate balance between the flexible and effective implementation of our goals. The Commission has set the annual limit for the clean development mechanism to 3%, because in that way it achieves a balance between flexibility and emission reduction within the European Union. This limit, in conjunction with the ability to trade emissions between Member States, will give countries the opportunity to achieve their goals. The Commission believes that the flexibility to achieve the goals of the Member States must go hand in hand with a transparent and effective compliance system. This principle has already been successfully applied in the European Union’s emission trading scheme.
Finally, significant progress has also been made on the Commission’s proposal to shape the legal framework on carbon capture and storage. As far as the CCS funding is concerned, an issue in which Parliament has shown particular interest, discussions are already under way on the use of reserves for companies entering the emission trading scheme. This is a positive development towards finding a solution. Thank you very much and I await your opinions with interest."@en1
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