Liberals and Democrats salute the efforts of all sides to conclude a deal on the three remaining elements of the climate change/energy package proposed by the Commission at the beginning of the year as a means for European Union countries to meet their commitments to reducing carbon emissions and the impact on global warming. Agreement on renewable energies was already concluded earlier in the week.

ALDE members participating in the negotiations, Chris Davies, Lena Ek and Johannes Lebech all expressed their acceptance of the deal that seemed far from certain only a few weeks ago.

Lena Ek MEP (Centre Party, Sweden) is the ALDE spokesperson on the emissions trading scheme (ETS) aswell as heading up the ALDE group’s overall response to climate change through the work of the temporary committee.

“Although some of the original tools for achieving the ambitious targets have been watered down by a combination of derogations for certain sectors, delays to full auctioning and concessions to the newer Member States, the glass is definitely more half full than half empty. I will definitely be recommending that my colleagues in Strasbourg next week support the deal.”

“It has been a remarkable achievement to get to this point in less than 12 months but it is absolutely essential with the world watching to see if Europe is prepared to lead the way in the battle against climate change.”

“I now hope that all political forces in the European Parliament will have the courage to back these measures as a fair compromise that maintains our ambitions for a more sustainable planet and that climate sceptics and economic interests on the Right of the House do not try to undo the agreement or postpone the vote on Wednesday.”

Johannes LEBECH (Radicale Venstre, Denmark) is ALDE spokesperson on burden-sharing proposal and gave his backing to the agreement between the Heads of State and Government yesterday, confirmed by EP and Council negotiators today. “Now it is up to the European Parliament to ensure that the agreement is ambitious enough. The effort-sharing proposal must provide incentives for Member States to reduce emissions in the sectors not covered by the ETS. The EU will have no credibility in Copenhagen next year if Member States can meet most of their reduction targets through CDM-projects", he said.

Chris Davies MEP (UK, Lib Dem) EP chief negotiator on Carbon Capture and Storage also proclaimed that “the deal is done”. Davies had fought long and hard over the past few months to ensure support both for the technology that has the potential to remove half of all our carbon emissions from the atmosphere by 2050, but also the crucial financing mechanism in the form of sufficient carbon allowances to justify the substantial investment required. The agreement reached by Heads of State yesterday for 300m tonnes of carbon credits for CCS was vital in securing agreement on the whole package.
 

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Neil Corlett: +32-478-78 22 84
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