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1st March 2002
Press Release: GO FOR KYOTO AND NOT BACK TO ZERO

Brussels, 1 March 2002 - Today WWF, Greenpeace and Climate Action Network-Europe strongly urged European environmental ministers to finally decide on an unconditional ratification of the Kyoto Protocol at the upcoming Environment Council on March 4.

Only one fundamental decision is on the agenda of next week’s EU Environment Council: the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. If agreed, it would be a big step toward the EU’s longstanding objective to have the Protocol ratified and entered into force in time for the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which begins on August 26, 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa. However, ratification by the EU is not a foregone conclusion, and certain countries threaten to hold the entire ratification process hostage to individual exemptions.

“EU governments must go for Kyoto – now and unconditionally. Too much time has been wasted already. Without a Kyoto ratification agreement now, the EU leadership will be gone”, said Dr Stephan Singer, head of climate and energy policy of WWF Europe

Since the Kyoto Protocol was first agreed in December 1997, the EU has taken a leadership role in the international negotiations on climate change. Any delay in the EU ratification process will definitely give the wrong political signal to the rest of the world and might seriously jeopardise the future of the Kyoto Protocol.

“In addition to the EU, the Kyoto treaty must be ratified by other nations, notably in Eastern Europe, Russia and Japan”, said Karla Schoeters from Climate Action Network Europe. “Without clear, immediate and concrete leadership of the EU, we can forget about rapid ratification by some of these countries, and also forget about Kyoto entering into force at the Johannesburg Summit. Delay is not acceptable to us”, Schoeters added.

Ministers are left with the important question of the legal basis for Monday’s Decision. The question they have to solve is whether they want to take the decision by unanimity or by qualified majority.
« The EU energy tax has been on the table for 10 years, as it can only be approved by unanimity and opposition by one or two Member States is sufficient to veto it. This precedent should have taught a lesson», said Michel Raquet, Greenpeace climate adviser. « The question of the legal basis is about implementation of future policies and measures to tackle climate change. Should the Decision of ratification be adopted by unanimity, it would set a dangerous precedent in the sense that any future important EU measure might have to be decided in the same way. If this will be the case, you can forget about implementing Kyoto, you can forget about saving the climate », Raquet concluded.

For further Information:
Michel Raquet, Greenpeace : +32 (0) 496.16.33.65
Stephan Singer, WWF: +32 2 743 8817
Matthias Duwe, CNE: + 32 (0) 486 759525 matthias.cne@gmx.net

Note to editors:

1. Article 25 of the Kyoto Protocol stipulates a period of ninety days between the deposit of the legal instrument of ratification which fulfils the necessary threshold and the date of entry into force.

The necessary threshold is also defined in Article 25 of the Kyoto Protocol. There are two basic conditions for the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The first one is that at least 55 Parties to the Convention have ratified. However, the key barrier to the Protocol entering into force is not the number of ratifications but ensuring that the industrialised countries (Annex I Parties) that ratify are sufficiently large global warming polluters to exceed 55 per cent of the 1990 CO2.

As of 18 February 2002, 47 Parties have already ratified the Kyoto Protocol but only two of them are listed as Annex I Parties (Czech Republic and Romania), representing 2.4% of the total 1990 CO2 Annex I parties.

2. EU Burden Sharing agreement as adopted in June 1998

for questions, please contact CNE's Matthias Duwe

 

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