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Czech Presidency of the EU Council January – June 2009

Czech Presidency of the EU Council January – June 2009. CZ PRES. General priorities Environmental priorities EU Council on the Environment International agenda Calendar. General priorities. M otto " Europe without Barriers " Key issues:

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Czech Presidency of the EU Council January – June 2009

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  1. Czech Presidency of the EU Council January – June 2009

  2. CZ PRES • General priorities • Environmental priorities • EU Council on the Environment • International agenda • Calendar

  3. General priorities • Motto "Europe without Barriers" • Key issues: • Competitiveness, the Four Freedoms, and Liberal Trade Policy • Energy and climate change • Europe – open and secure • Historical parallels to the priorities: 20th anniversary of the Czechoslovak „Velvet revolution“, 5th anniversary of the 2004 EU enlargement

  4. Environmental priorities 1. Climate Change Post-Kyoto regime (after 2012) Climate and energy legislative package 2. Protection of human health and environment 3. Sustainable consumption and production 4. Biodiversity protection

  5. 1. Climate Change Climate-energy package Proposal for a Directive amending Dir. 2003/87/EC so as to improve and extend the GHG emission allowance trading system of the Community (EU ETS) Proposal for a Decision on the effort of MS to reduce their GHG emissions to meet the Community’s GHG emission reduction commitments up to 2020 (ESD) Proposal for a Directive on the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CCS) Proposal for a Directive of on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (RES) CZ supports the 1st reading agreement under the FR PRES Adaptation on climate change– probably a Communication to be published by the Commission in February/March 2009 discussion topic at the informal Council (June 2009)

  6. 2. Protection of human health and environment Proposal for a Directive on industrial emissions (IPPC) to strengthen the provisions already in force and simplify current legislation by merging seven directives into one significantly cutting the administrative burden for industry and public authorities as well as bringing significant health and environmental benefits the negotiations already started under the FR RES one of the priorities of the CZ PRES 1st reading agreement or Political agreement – Environment Council in March/June 2009 Proposal for a Regulation on the ozone depleting substances (ODS) proposed by the Commission in August 2008, the negotiations in the WP have not yet started extends the scope to better align with the definitions of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer specifies stricter inspection rules for member states 1st Reading agreementunder the CZ PRES

  7. 2. Protection of human health and environment • Proposals for Directives on electronic waste (RoHS, WEEE) • to be proposed by the Commission in December 2008 • would provide simplification of the current legislation according to „better regulation“ • CZ PRES – start negotiations • Green paper on biowaste • to be proposed by the Commission in December 2008 • would significantly contribute to the reduction of methane emissions from dumping grounds and to climate protection; due to the use of waste compostin agriculture, up to 10% of mineral fertilizers could be compensated for • CZ PRES - Council Conclusions at the March Council • Proposal for a Directive on the national emission ceilings (NEC) • delayed by the Commission, expected to be published in 2009 • would include new limit emissions for 2020 for SO2, NOx, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Ammonia (NH3) and primary PM2.5, and could enlarge the scope by including e.g. international maritime traffic, aircraft emissions beyond the landing and take-off cycle, and emissions in some of the overseas regions • CZ PRES will only open the negotiations

  8. 3. Sustainable consumption and production Proposal for a regulation revising the EU Ecolabel scheme Proposal for a regulation revising EMAS Proposed by the Commission within the SCP package in July 2008 Ecolabel - establishes general requirements for Ecolabel criteria which will be based on the environmental performance of products, determined on the basis of the best performing products on the market, would set out environmental requirements that a product must fulfil in order to bear the Ecolabel, lays out the terms for the development and revision of the criteria EMAS - reviews the EMAS Regulation adopted in 2001, promotes support for EMAS by member states and EU institutions, increases awareness of benefits, introduces a harmonised system throughout EU, simplifies the use of the EMAS logo and surrounding legislation 1st Reading agreement under the CZ PRES

  9. 4. Biodiversity protection Trade in seal products would impose a ban on the placing on the market and importing into/exporting from the EU on seal products coming from countries which practice cruel hunting methods trade of seal products would be authorized when hunting techniques used are consistent with the EU animal welfare standards ensuring animals do not suffer unnecessarily when killed Green Paper on alien invasive species will establish a strategy to tackle the environmental, economic and social threat posed by alien invasive species Poss.CZ PRES – Council Conclusions Framework Soil Directive the 1st reading negotiations blocked at the Environmental Council in December 2007 the role of the CZ PRES depends highly on the progress that the FR PRES will achieve in the re-opened negotiations (especially the negotiations with states that have been opposing the Directive) Wilderness conference

  10. EU Council on the Environment March 2, 2009 – formal - Brussels June 12 – 13, 2009 – informal -Prague June 25, 2009 – formal - Luxembourg

  11. International agenda (1) 25th UNEP GC/GMEF (Nairobi, 16 – 20 Feb 2009) CZ PRES will focus on: Legally-binding instrument approach on mercury MEAs implementation Further implementation of Bali Strategic Plan Financing Mid-term Strategy and Budget Development of Ten-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns Climate Change Strategy Reform of international environmental governance

  12. International agenda (2) 17thSession of UN Commission on Sustainable Development (4 – 15 May 2009) Policy session of current two-year cycle focusing on agriculture, rural development, land, drought, desertification and Africa, including inter-linkages and cross-cutting issues Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting (23 – 27 Feb 2009): preparation of draft negotiating document CSD-17: negotiations on policy decisions

  13. International agenda (3) CSD-17 Key Topics Based on CSD-16 review session outcomes, key topics identified: World food crisis Biofuels production and consumption Access to agricultural markets Access to land Drought - desertification - climate change Africa´s efforts to achieve MDGs

  14. International agenda (4) Climate Change March/April 2009: AHWG for Long-term Cooperative Action under UNFCCC 1 – 12 June 2009, Bonn: SBSTA/SBI 2009 decisive negotiations on post-2012 Goal: reach agreement on comprehensive commitments in Copenhagen 2009 Particular importance: negotiations with key partners (USA, China, Russia, India, Brazil, RSA)

  15. International agenda (5) Chemicals 4 – 8 May 2009, Geneva: 4th Conference of Parties to Stockholm Convention on POPs 11 – 15 May 2009, Geneva: 2nd International Conference on Chemical Management CZ PRES supports enhanced cooperation and coordination among Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions

  16. International agenda (6) “Environment for Europe” process Reform of the EfE process is a CZ priority CZsupportsthe conclusion of a reform plan for EfE process before the end of December 2008 within CEP April 2009:coordination of EU positions in Brussels and atCEP session, so the plan could be endorsed by plenary session of the UN ECE

  17. Calendar (1) 18 – 20 January – Informal workshop EU 27 - climate change and CZ PRES priorities (experts), Czech Rep. 14 – 20 February – 25th session of the UNEP Gov. Council and 10th session of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum, Nairobi 21 – 27 February – Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the 17th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, New York 16 – 20 March – 5th World Water Forum, Istanbul 25 – 27 March – Challenges of the Single Information Space for Europe in Environment and Shared Environmental InformationSystem and their Implementation, Prague

  18. 19 – 24 April – 42nd Session of the Working Group on Strategies and Reviews to the CLRTAP, Geneva May – Presidency meeting of the European commitee on ecolabelling 2 – 16 May – 17th session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, New York 2 – 6 May – 4th Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention on POPs, Geneva 10 – 15 May – 2nd International Conference on Chemical Management (ICCM), Geneva Calendar (2)

  19. Calendar (3) 25 – 26 May – Meeting of MS water department directors, Brno 27 – 29 May – Wilderness conference, Prague 27 – 29 May – Floods directive implementation workshop, Brno May or June – EIA/SEA Experts meeting, Prague 1 – 12 June – SBSTA/SBI to the UNFCCC, Bonn 3 – 5 June – IMPEL meeting, Prague 12 – 14 June 2009 – Informal Council on the Environment, Prague

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