WRITTEN QUESTION E-2826/02

by Kathleen Van Brempt (PSE) to the Commission

(8 October 2002)

Subject: Action programme to integrate climate change considerations into EU development policy

On 11 November 1999 the Commission was invited by the Development Cooperation Council to report back to the Council on the progress made in integrating climate change considerations into EC economic and development cooperation policies. This report was to include an action programme with targets, timetables and indicators. The Council called on the Commission to submit its report as soon as possible after the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention (CoP-6).

At its meeting of 10 November 2000 the Development Council confirmed that the Commission and Member States should maximise the coordination and complementarity of climate relevant development cooperation of the Community, the Member States, other development agencies and local actors. The Council also said that the first aim is to create as many synergies between poverty reduction and climate change activities as possible by supporting measures leading to win-win situations, and reiterated its call on the Commission to submit a report, in accordance with the Council conclusions of 11 November 1999, as soon as possible after CoP-6, for the Council's further consideration.

During the seventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Climate Convention (CoP-7) the Council discussed preparations for the World Summit on Sustainable Development at its meeting of 8 November 2001 and again encouraged the Member States and the Community to strengthen the integration of climate change into their development cooperation policies and to allocate appropriate additional financial resources for this purpose. At the request of the Belgian delegation, Commissioner Nielson informed the Council that the Commission was currently working on the integration of the various Community policies including development policy into an action programme on climate change.

We are now on the eve of CoP-8 in New Delhi and the Commission has still not submitted the action programme specifically requested by the Council three years ago, for the integration of climate change considerations into EU development policy to Parliament and the Council.

Can the Commission say why the action programme has failed to materialise and how this can be reconciled with the political commitments entered into by the EU at the conferences of the parties to the Climate Convention and at the recent World Summit in Johannesburg?

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.