There, historic agreement. Now it only remains to overcome the difficult challenge of negotiating the objectives of each member country. ” We can avoid what could be a catastrophe for humanity. ” With these words, Chancellor Angela Merkel, yesterday stressed the importance of the commitment to reduce CO2 emissions through saving and clean energy use, agreed yesterday by the heads of State and Government of the European Union to combat climate change. The political agreement, described as “historic” by the Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, has been, however, pending negotiations to distribute the effort to be made by individual Member States.
Also the legal embodiment of the commitment has serious uncertainties because the EU has no competence in energy policy approved in the absence of the Constitution. The division of the large European energy companies, as feared by France and Germany and that Brussels considers the large lever to promote competition, was eliminated. Instead it proposes “a system operating under independent management networks to ensure open access” to third parties.
The central objective of the agreement is to reduce CO2 emissions responsible for global warming, by 30% in developed countries in 2020. The EU will make this proposal to the international community to set some new goals when expiry of the current Kyoto Protocol, which 46 countries agreed to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by 5% between 2008 and 2012. Europe’s commitment was 8%.
Now, as an example and continue to lead the fight against climate change unilaterally commits to at least reduce polluting gas emissions by 20%, but its aim is to drag in other industrialized countries to reduce by 30%. “So,” Barroso said, “we say to the world, Europe is taking the lead. You should join us in the fight against climate change.”
The crudest battle within the European Council, was raised yesterday by the role of nuclear energy in reducing CO2 emissions and the compulsory nature of the goal of achieving 20% clean or renewable energy by 2020.
France wanted to include a mandatory target of 45% of energy with low CO2 emissions, which would include nuclear and renewables. Other countries with heavy reliance on coal as Poland (95%), also opposed the renewables obligation. Cyprus and Malta, small countries also raised their difficulties. But Austria, Ireland and Germany, countries with nuclear moratorium, were strongly opposed to including nuclear. The latter two countries to give its approval were Hungary and Czech Republic.
After a long pulse, the Council reached a compromise on the one hand makes it compulsory for renewables, but then acknowledges that “each country is part of a different situation” and the contribution of nuclear energy in reducing emissions and security of supply.
The Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, expressed his full support to the “energy action plan” and considered him, Europe is becoming “the world leader in clean energy.” In Tony Blair, British prime minister, a country where renewables make up only 1.62% of energy consumption, also was pleased an agreement that will allow you to fight for modest goals and tailored to your situation.
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