European Council agreed on the financing of climate activities

11.12.2009 | 09:32

News

Brussels, 11 December 2009 – At the meeting of the European Council that ended in Brussels today, the heads of state and government confirmed their readiness to finance the climate policy with 2.4 billion euros each year over the next three years.

That amount is intended for developing countries so that they could make the necessary investments within that time period to increase their capacity and prepare action plans that are necessary for the implementation of a new international agreement.

Under the framework of that commitment, Estonia will allocate three million euros in the years 2010-2012.

The second important decision in the area of climate involved the readiness to reduce emissions of waste gases by up to 30 per cent compared to 1990 levels, provided that the other states also assume comparable commitments. Currently, the European Union has committed itself to reducing emission levels by 20 per cent.

With these positions, the European Union was represented at the international climate conference in Copenhagen, the purpose of which is to reach a new, so-called post-Kyoto agreement. It is aimed to reach a political agreement in Copenhagen, which would serve as a basis for a legally binding agreement

“The decision by the European Union to give developing states 2.4 billion euros a year, to mitigate climate changes and adjust to them, contains a clear message – we fulfil our promises and take our obligations seriously,” said Ansip.

The European Council also summed up the steps for coping with the economic and financial crisis. In order to manage the crisis, the European Union and its member states have applied a myriad of extraordinary measures. It was admitted that the economy is demonstrating signs of stabilisation and there is growth in the feeling of security. At the same time, in the opinion of the European Council, the situation is not yet sufficiently stable to abandon the support measures.

The European Union also approved a new strategy in the area of justice and internal issues, which sets objectives for 2010-2014. This so-called Stockholm programme further deepens the internal cooperation of the European Union in terms of legislative drafting and the fight against international crime.

In the opinion of Prime Minister Ansip, the strategy contains, in a wording suitable to Estonia, references to almost all priority themes, such as cyber security and the fight against cyber crime, continuous awareness of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes, etc.

The recent meeting of the European Council expressed its pleasure regarding the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December, and discussed the further efficient implementation of the treaty.

“The new treaty of the European Union creates a stable framework for the EU and enables it to fully focus on forthcoming problems,” find the leaders of the European Union in their joint declaration.

Photos of the European Council are available at the website of the Council of the European Union. In using them, please refer to the source: the Council of the European Union.

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