Informele ministeriële bijeenkomst in Denemarken over een groener Europa (en)

Minister for the Environment Ida Auken and Minister for Climate, Energy and Building Martin Lidegaard host the informal meeting of ministers

Photo: Council of the European Union

Minister for the Environment, Ida Auken and Minister for Climate, Energy and Building, Martin Lidegaard have invited their ministerial colleagues in Europe to an informal meeting in Horsens, Denmark from 17 to 20 April. The agenda for the meeting is a greener Europe to help resolve the financial crisis. Ministers are to agree on a design for Europe's environmental policy of the next decade and discuss the Energy Efficiency Directive, which needs to be in place before the end of June this year.

On the days of the meeting, more than thirty environmental, climate and energy ministers and three commissioners will be given the opportunity to cycle from their hotel to Forum in Horsens. There is much interest in this first informal meeting in Horsens during the Danish EU Presidency, reflecting the importance of the discussions to take place during the two meetings of ministers, planned to run consecutively.

At the meeting for ministers for the environment, ministers will try to reach an agreement on the road to a green economy.

"At the meeting in Horsens we have to come to an agreement on the principles for a new 7th Environment Action Programme. The new Programme is to ensure a green transition for the EU over the next 10 years. This green transition, where we get more out of less, is the way out of the crisis. Let me illustrate this with three examples. Firstly, we need to recycle and reuse our resources to a far greater extent. If we do so, we will also create thousands of new jobs. Secondly, we have to make sure that leading the way with green production and sustainable products is a much better business option. The polluters must pay. Thirdly, we have to do even more to limit harmful chemicals," says chairman of the Environment Council, Ida Auken.

The ministers for the environment will also discuss how Europe, as an important party in the negotiations at the world summit in Rio in June, can make a decisive imprint on the agreement that should lead the way to a global green transition. This transition must hold possibilities for both growth and sustainable use of natural resources.

"Exploitation of the world's natural resources has so far led to growth, however, now, we have exceeded the limit. The Earth's population is rapidly moving from seven to nine billion people, and many countries see growing middle classes. So we have to reduce the pressure on the world's resources. Europe should play an prominent role and ensure that the world summit leads to concrete results," says Ida Auken

The future of emission allowances

During the lunch on 19 April, ministers will discuss the future of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). This is the first time that ministers will discuss the system since the adoption of the Climate and Energy Package in 2008.

The price of emission allowances is now so low that it no longer serves to ensure that enough is being invested in energy savings and conversion to renewable energy. The Danish EU Presidency is encouraging open debate about the future of the ETS; a debate which should have room for many different views.

"I think that identifying the problems and the different positions that exist on the ETS will be extremely useful. I want an open and honest debate about how we ensure that the ETS continues as the backbone of European climate and energy policy," says Minister for Climate, Energy and Building, Martin Lidegaard, who chairs the climate discussions in the Environment Council.

Energy Ministers meeting

At the Energy Ministers meeting, Martin Lidegaard will endeavour to move forward the difficult negotiations on the Energy Efficiency Directive. The Danish EU Presidency has recently presented a compromise proposal to make for progress in the negotiations. The objective is still to satisfy the recommendation of the EU heads of state and government to reach an agreement with the European Parliament before the end of June.

"I would like to appeal to my colleagues to show a good degree of flexibility, so that we can adopt the Directive. Flexibility is required of both Member States and the European Parliament," says Martin Lidegaard

Ministers will also discuss the visions for European energy policy in 2030. These discussions will be on the basis of the European Commission's Energy Roadmap 2050, which describes options for Europe to limit its carbon emissions by 80%-95% by 2050.