BELGIUM: Environment ministers from the 15 European Union states yesterday reaffirmed their commitment to the Kyoto Protocol on combating global warming after resisting calls to adjust EU policy, writes Tim King in Brussels
Mr Martin Cullen, who chaired yesterday's meeting on behalf of the Irish presidency, emerged with a text which he described as "an absolutely determined commitment to the Kyoto Protocol".
But there was no hiding the fact that Italy had called for making the EU's commitment more conditional on Russia signing up to the Kyoto plan for cutting greenhouse gases. It was clear that Spain and Finland had also shown signs of wobbling.
Recent remarks by the European Commissioner for Energy, Ms Loyola De Palacio, had contributed to the uncertainty.
The Environment Commissioner, Ms Margot Wallstrom, delivered a withering dismissal of her fellow-commissioner's suggestion that Russia should be given a final deadline for deciding whether or not to ratify the Kyoto protocol. "Maybe we have not had time to inform Loyola about the convention [on climate change\] properly," she said.
The Irish presidency wanted to make sure that yesterday's meeting, which was supposed to agree conclusions to be forwarded to the European Council at the end of the month, did not produce any negative signals about the EU's commitment to Kyoto. Mr Cullen believes that he has achieved that aim.
The text to which Italy could eventually agree underlined "the importance the EU attaches to the ratification process of the Kyoto Protocol and to its early entry into force".
Ms Wallstrom, who has pushed for the EU to put its own emissions trading scheme in place, put a brave gloss on the rumbles of discontent. "This means we are getting serious. It means this issue is at the top of the political agenda. It will continue to be tough and controversial," she said.