Litouws voorzitterschap presenteert werkplan op Milieuraad van 18 juni (en)
The Lithuanian Minister for Environment Valentinas Mazuronis will take part in the meeting of the Environment Council of the EU on 18 June in Luxembourg. This will be the last Environment Council under the Irish presidency and the Lithuanian minister will present the priorities of the incoming Lithuanian presidency i in the areas of Environment and Climate Change.
The Council will be chaired by the Irish Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr Phil Hogan. The Commission will be represented by the Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik i, the Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard i and the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki i.
The agenda of the meeting will include several key legislative and non-legislative dossiers and will open with the discussion and adoption of Council conclusions on Adaptation to Climate Change. The progress report on the proposal for a Directive on the quality of petrol and diesel fuels/use of energy from renewable resources (ILUC) will be presented.
The Council will consider issues related to the Rio+20 follow-up. After endorsing the Council conclusions on the overarching post-2015 agenda, there will be an exchange of views on the links between the Report of the UN Secretary-General’s High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the post 2015 development agenda and the elaboration of the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the end of official section of the meeting Valentinas Mazuronis will present the work programme of the incoming Lithuanian Presidency. Minister Mazuronis has already spoken briefly on the subject of the presidency
“The current Council agenda highlights environmental issues requiring effective dialogue among the Member States, and Lithuania will strive to reach sound political results and balanced agreements during its Presidency”
“Our main priority is to focus on an effective and smooth legislative process.
During its presidency Lithuania will seek the first reading agreement on the Regulation on Access to Genetic Resources and Sharing of Benefits (ABS) as well as first reading agreement on the Fluorinated Gas Regulation. The Presidency intends to make significant progress on the ILUC Directive and it will work hard in order to agree on rational measures which would improve the Environment Impact Assessment directive. Lithuania will also work with the ETS Clarification and other dossiers, which are still pending to be presented.
The Presidency faces a very busy international environment agenda for the second half of 2013, particularly on climate change, chemicals, desertification, biodiversity and forestry. Two legally binding instruments - on Forestry and the Convention on Mercury - will be finalised. The main focus at the international level will be given to the most important event - the Climate change COP in Warsaw.
The Presidency will lead preparation of the EU position in order to adopt Council Conclusions in October and will coordinate EU participation in the Conference.
It is planned that the international climate agenda will be among the topics for discussion at the Informal Meeting of Environment and Climate Ministers to be held in Vilnius in mid July. While presenting the work programme Minister Mazuronis will officially invite ministers from all member states to attend the Informal Meeting in Vilnius.