Written Ministerial Statement by Hilary Benn - Environment Council 3 March 2008 - 28 February 2008
The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Hilary Benn)
I will represent the UK at the Environment Council in Brussels on 3 March.
At this Council, the Slovenian Presidency will be seeking to agree three sets of Council Conclusions. Firstly, the Council will discuss the Environment Council’s contribution to the Spring European Council. The Conclusions will focus on the following key priorities: climate change and energy, in particular the legislative package recently proposed by the Commission, halting the loss of biodiversity, environmental technologies, and better regulation. The Council will also agree the EU’s negotiating position ahead of the 4th COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Conference of Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity both to be held in May 2008.
The Council will also hold two policy debates. Firstly, on the Commission’s climate and energy package published on 23 January 2008, Ministers will be asked to consider the level of ambition contained in the package; whether the proposals put forward to ensure emission reductions are cost-effective and equitable; whether the proposed regulatory framework on carbon capture and storage is suitable; and the sustainability of the scheme. There will also be a policy debate on the Commission’s proposal for setting emissions performance standards to reduce CO2 emissions from passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Ministers will be asked to consider whether the Commission’s proposal respects the criteria put forward by the Council and what can be done to further improve the balance between the different elements of the proposal in order to meet its environmental objectives.
Under ‘Any Other Business’, the Presidency will update the Council on the Euro VI regulations. Information on noise from military aircraft, emissions from shipping and the Danube-Black Sea Deep Navigation Canal have been requested by Member States.
Page published: 28 February 2008