Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09BRATISLAVA427
2009-10-02 15:11:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
SLOVAKIA WELCOMES U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS
how-toVZCZCXRO0266 RR RUEHSL DE RUEHSL #0427 2751511 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 021511Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0190 INFO RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 0001 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA 0227
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000427
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE OES/EGC WENDY MOORE, EUR MATTHEW BEH AND SUSAN
PARKER-BURNS, AND EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG TRGY EUN LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA WELCOMES U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS
REF: A. STATE 97542
B. BRATISLAVA 369
C. BRATISLAVA 365
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000427
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE OES/EGC WENDY MOORE, EUR MATTHEW BEH AND SUSAN
PARKER-BURNS, AND EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG TRGY EUN LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA WELCOMES U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS
REF: A. STATE 97542
B. BRATISLAVA 369
C. BRATISLAVA 365
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GOS welcomes USG greenhouse gas emissions
reduction goals and strongly agrees on the need to include all
major economies in an eventual United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreement at Copenhagen.
Slovakia understands the domestic political realities in the
U.S. and believes an agreement on principles may come out of
Copenhagen with specifics to be worked out later. The GOS plans
to follow the prevailing EU consensus but wants to ensure that
any agreement includes the ability to carry over current excess
assigned amount units (AAUs) to the new post-Kyoto period.
Slovakia has been overly eager to exploit the financial
opportunities in the sale of excess AAUs, leading to allegations
of corruption in the sale of emissions permits and the dismissal
of key officials in the Ministry of Environment. In the
fall-out resulting from the dismissals, the Ministry of
Environment is restructuring the department responsible for
climate change negotiations. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Reftel A points were delivered to Helena Princova in the
Department of Climate-Energy Package and Renewables at the
Ministry of Environment. Princova said she understood the
domestic political situation in the U.S. She welcomes U.S.
participation in climate change talks along the lines proposed
in the Waxman-Markey energy and climate legislation.
3. (U) Princova emphatically agreed that the participation of
all major economies was critical, including the fast-growing
emerging countries. She said that commitments by major emerging
countries to measure, reduce, and verify emissions rather than
identify specific targets now would be enough. She supported
the need for the U.S. and EU to speak with one voice.
4. (U) Princova characterized Slovakia as a country that would
follow the prevailing EU consensus as long as any agreement
includes the ability to carry over current excess assigned
amount units (AAUs) to the new Copenhagen period. The GOS
expects to reach its emissions reduction targets comfortably and
continue a trend of running excess AAUs for years to come.
Slovakia does not want to forego the lucrative opportunities to
sell excess AAUs to net buyers in the market.
5. (U) Princova believes that UNFCCC negotiators will work up to
the end to craft an agreement. She speculated that an agreement
in principle may come out of Copenhagen with specifics to be
worked out later. Princova said this result, or even no
agreement, would probably be preferable to a flawed agreement
produced by a hasty negotiation process.
6. (SBU) Closer to home, Princova described a major transition
in her department's leadership because of ongoing allegations of
corruption in the sale of emissions permits to the
U.S.-registered Interblue Group (refs B and C). Both Peter
Solcansky, the Director of Princova's department, and Pavol
Tehlar, the General Director of the Environmental Quality
Division, were forced to resign their positions. Along with the
management changes, Princova said that her department's overall
structure is now being reorganized. Climate change negotiators
may get their own separate department, and Princova is rumored
to be the eventual director of this new department.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: While the rumored changes at the Ministry of
Environment will not likely affect the overall climate change
position of Slovakia in the EU or during UNFCCC negotiations,
they do represent a potentially promising shift. Princova is
considered a professional and a technical expert on climate
change issues with long experience in the Ministry throughout
various governments. Solcansky and Tehlar were functionaries of
the Slovak National Party (SNS) with backgrounds in military
intelligence, not the environment. END COMMENT.
BALL
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE OES/EGC WENDY MOORE, EUR MATTHEW BEH AND SUSAN
PARKER-BURNS, AND EUR/CE JAMIE MOORE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KGHG SENV ENRG TRGY EUN LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA WELCOMES U.S. CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS
REF: A. STATE 97542
B. BRATISLAVA 369
C. BRATISLAVA 365
1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The GOS welcomes USG greenhouse gas emissions
reduction goals and strongly agrees on the need to include all
major economies in an eventual United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) agreement at Copenhagen.
Slovakia understands the domestic political realities in the
U.S. and believes an agreement on principles may come out of
Copenhagen with specifics to be worked out later. The GOS plans
to follow the prevailing EU consensus but wants to ensure that
any agreement includes the ability to carry over current excess
assigned amount units (AAUs) to the new post-Kyoto period.
Slovakia has been overly eager to exploit the financial
opportunities in the sale of excess AAUs, leading to allegations
of corruption in the sale of emissions permits and the dismissal
of key officials in the Ministry of Environment. In the
fall-out resulting from the dismissals, the Ministry of
Environment is restructuring the department responsible for
climate change negotiations. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Reftel A points were delivered to Helena Princova in the
Department of Climate-Energy Package and Renewables at the
Ministry of Environment. Princova said she understood the
domestic political situation in the U.S. She welcomes U.S.
participation in climate change talks along the lines proposed
in the Waxman-Markey energy and climate legislation.
3. (U) Princova emphatically agreed that the participation of
all major economies was critical, including the fast-growing
emerging countries. She said that commitments by major emerging
countries to measure, reduce, and verify emissions rather than
identify specific targets now would be enough. She supported
the need for the U.S. and EU to speak with one voice.
4. (U) Princova characterized Slovakia as a country that would
follow the prevailing EU consensus as long as any agreement
includes the ability to carry over current excess assigned
amount units (AAUs) to the new Copenhagen period. The GOS
expects to reach its emissions reduction targets comfortably and
continue a trend of running excess AAUs for years to come.
Slovakia does not want to forego the lucrative opportunities to
sell excess AAUs to net buyers in the market.
5. (U) Princova believes that UNFCCC negotiators will work up to
the end to craft an agreement. She speculated that an agreement
in principle may come out of Copenhagen with specifics to be
worked out later. Princova said this result, or even no
agreement, would probably be preferable to a flawed agreement
produced by a hasty negotiation process.
6. (SBU) Closer to home, Princova described a major transition
in her department's leadership because of ongoing allegations of
corruption in the sale of emissions permits to the
U.S.-registered Interblue Group (refs B and C). Both Peter
Solcansky, the Director of Princova's department, and Pavol
Tehlar, the General Director of the Environmental Quality
Division, were forced to resign their positions. Along with the
management changes, Princova said that her department's overall
structure is now being reorganized. Climate change negotiators
may get their own separate department, and Princova is rumored
to be the eventual director of this new department.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: While the rumored changes at the Ministry of
Environment will not likely affect the overall climate change
position of Slovakia in the EU or during UNFCCC negotiations,
they do represent a potentially promising shift. Princova is
considered a professional and a technical expert on climate
change issues with long experience in the Ministry throughout
various governments. Solcansky and Tehlar were functionaries of
the Slovak National Party (SNS) with backgrounds in military
intelligence, not the environment. END COMMENT.
BALL