EUROPA - Press Releases - Letter of = President Barroso to EU Heads of State and Government on climate = action

MEMO/10/41

Brussels, 18 February 2010

Letter of President Barroso to = EU Heads=20 of State and Government on climate action

President = Barroso has=20 today written to EU Heads of State and Government informing them = of the=20 next steps in the Commission's work on climate action .

President Barroso underlines that = the=20 international process needs to continue, building on what could be = agreed=20 in Copenhagen and finding new ways to instil trust back into the = process.=20 He states that an important element in the strategy is the = implementation=20 of the fast start financing for developing countries agreed in=20 December.

In his letter, President Barroso = states that=20 the core goal must be to bring all partners closer to the EU's = ambitions=20 and commitment to a multilateral agreement. President Barroso has=20 therefore asked Commissioner Hedegaard to undertake a consultation = of key=20 international partners to find new ways to reinvigorate the = international=20 process. President Barroso will feed this first assessment into = the Spring=20 European Council and then in full into the Ministerial level = negotiations=20 and the June European Council.

President Barroso = will=20 discuss with President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy = on=20 how best to prepare the discussions in the European Council and = how=20 to ensure a powerful and unified EU = voice on=20 these critical issues for the future.

The full text of the President = Barroso's=20 letter can be found below:

"Working together to maintain our = ambitions=20 on climate change will remain one of our most important challenges = for=20 this year. Since we did not have time to discuss this at our = meeting last=20 week I would like to share some thoughts on the work going on in = the=20 Commission as I believe we should prepare well the important = decisions=20 ahead of us.

In fact if the European Union does = not take=20 the initiative we may end up driven by the initiatives of = others.

Most of us were in Copenhagen, and = I think=20 none of us were satisfied with the outcome. However, Copenhagen = was a=20 reality check. We had hoped that leading by example, and our = commitment to=20 step up our efforts to 30%, would be enough to bring others on = board. This=20 did not happen. But this is not the time for the EU to start = doubting its=20 commitments. This would be a mistake.

We need to show that we have not = given up on=20 our ambitions, even if many of our partners found it easier to = limit=20 themselves to the lowest common denominator. We should rather show = our=20 commitment to press ahead with delivery =E2=80=93 implementing our = climate and=20 energy package showing how tackling climate change is a dynamic = element in=20 a strategy for growth by creating jobs and boosting energy = security under=20 the Europe 2020 approach that I presented and we discussed last = week.

Besides the internal dimension of = our work,=20 the international front is as important as ever to tackling the = threat of=20 climate change. We need the international process to continue, = building on=20 what we could agree in the Copenhagen Accord and finding new ways = to=20 instil trust back into the process.

An important element in this = strategy should=20 be the implementation of the fast start financing we have = committed to=20 last December. We should not forget that those who were working = more=20 closely with us in Copenhagen were the developing countries, = particularly=20 the poorest and most vulnerable.

But our core goal must be to bring = all=20 partners closer to our own ambitions and to our commitment to a=20 multilateral agreement. Copenhagen showed us just how tough it = will be.=20 Hence if we are to progress, we have to rethink our approach to = these=20 partners.

I have therefore asked Connie = Hedegaard, the=20 Commissioner for Climate Action, to undertake a consultation of = key=20 international partners to find ways to reinvigorate the = international=20 process. I would hope to have some first thoughts by the Spring = European=20 Council, and then to feed the results in full into the Ministerial = level=20 negotiations announced by Chancellor Merkel and the June European = Council.=20 I would of course hope that this process can also benefit from = your own=20 reflections on the direction of partners' thinking.

The work we are already doing to = tackle=20 climate change can act as a powerful lever for others to follow = =E2=80=93 but it=20 must be seen as a genuinely collective approach. I will be = discussing with=20 Herman Van Rompuy the best way to address these elements in March = as well=20 as how we can ensure a powerful and unified EU voice on these = critical=20 issues for the future."