COPENHAGEN IS THE #1 ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY FOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRUSSELS 000106

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON EIND ENRG EUN EWWT KGHG SENV TPHY
TRGY, TSPL
SUBJECT: COPENHAGEN IS THE #1 ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITY FOR
THE CZECH PRESIDENCY


1. (U) On January 21, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Environment Martin Bursik appeared before the
European Parliament's Environment Committee to discuss the
priorities of the Czech Presidency of the EU Council of
Ministers (running from January until June 2009). Bursik
listed four priority areas for action: (1) Climate change,
(2) Environmental protection (public health),(3) Sustainable
production and consumption, and (4) biodiversity. He focused
primarily on the EU's preparations for the Copenhagen Climate
Summit in December 2009 as well as future EU consultations
with the U.S. and other international partners on the
preparation of an international climate agreement. Pavel
Zamyslicky, the Director of the Climate Change Office in the
Ministry of Environment confirmed to USEU and Embassy Prague
EconOffs that Copenhagen will be the Ministry's primary
priority through the Presidency.

-------------- --------------
EU Ministerial meetings to discuss strategy for Copenhagen
-------------- --------------


2. (U) Minister Bursik announced that the Commission
Communication on the EU's strategy towards Copenhagen will be
presented on January 28. It is meant to serve as the basis
for discussions during the March 2 Council of Environment
Ministers, the March 10 Council of Finance Ministers, as well
as the March 19-20 European Council bringing together the
EU's 27 heads of state. An informal Environment Council
originally planned for June has been brought forward to early
April. With regard to a future EU financial instrument for
the funding of mitigation and adaptation projects in third
countries (to be mainly funded through proceeds of auctioned
emission allowances),Bursik said that at an informal lunch
of Finance Ministers on January 20, ministers had expressed
their optimism about its creation.


3. (SBU) From Zamyslicky's perspective, the final agreement
in Copenhagen should encompass four areas: emissions
mitigation in industrialized countries; actions in developing
countries; financial sources for adaptation; and governance
of financial sources for mitigation actions. The biggest
issue for the EU, he explained, is how to address
comparability of nations. He acknowledged that not all
developing countries are equal, but that the process of how
to differentiate among these countries is still up for
debate. The EU, in its Council conclusions in March, should
lay out its views on emission trajectories and appropriate
actions for developing countries.

--------------
Consultations with USG Counterparts
--------------


4. (U) The Czechs are very keen to meet with the USG Climate
team as soon as possible, both at the policy level and the
working level. Bursik told Parliamentarians that he had
scheduled a telephone call with Energy Coordinator Carol
Browner to discuss EU-U.S. cooperation on the way to
Copenhagen. (Note: This phone call is tentatively scheduled
for January 28. End note.) In addition, he mentioned he had
sent letters to Browner, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and
Energy Secretary Steven Chu to schedule meetings in
Washington DC. Zamyslicky is most interested to know the
makeup of the negotiating team, so that he can lead the
collaboration as soon as possible. On the question of who
should have the lead in international climate policy, Bursik
said: "It would be good if we had some kind of competition
between the EU and the U.S. on who should be the leader in
climate change policy".


5. (SBU) Zamyslicky echoed the European wish to have a U.S.
cap and trade system linked with Europe's Emissions Trading
Scheme (ETS). He acknowledged that there were several
mistakes in the first phase of ETS, and that many of these
have been corrected in the revisions adopted as part of the
Climate and Energy Package. He expressed that the Package as
adopted in December could be used as a good example for
others. Ultimately, he explained, he would like to see OECD
countries first develop a linked cap and trade system so that
developing countries could eventually join as part of a fully
global system.

-------------- --------------
Visits to other major emitters and participation in summits
-------------- --------------


6. (SBU) Minister Bursik said the Sweden's Environment

BRUSSELS 00000106 002 OF 002


Minister (Sweden will hold the EU Presidency from July -
December 2009) and Environment Commissioner Dimas are
planning a series of trips to discuss a future international
climate change agreement. His initial schedule includes
trips to India in early February, China and Japan in March,
the G8 and G20 Summits in April, and Brazil and Argentina in
May. Zamyslicky added Russia to the list, expressing that
the Russians could be as much of a concern as either China or
India.

-------------- --------------
Implementation of the Climate Package left to Member States
-------------- --------------


7. (SBU) Zamyslicky stressed that the Czech Presidency will
not be addressing the implementation of the Climate and
Energy Package, passed in December. The only action he
expects is for the Council to formally adopt the Package as
passed by the Parliament-strictly a formality as all debate
took place last year. Instead, he explained that it
currently is up to the Member States to develop their
national action plans to address emissions reductions and
renewable energy development. The Czech Presidency, by
contrast, has no current actions, as the Package outlined the
timelines for the implementation. Instead, it is likely that
the Spanish Presidency in the first half of 2010, and not the
Swedes in the second half of this year, will be the first to
work on implementation from Brussels.

MURRAY
.