CONGRESSMAN MARKEY SHOWS OPTIMISM IN VIDEO

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BRUSSELS 001331

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TAGS: ECON EIND ENRG EUN EWWT KGHG SENV TPHY
TRGY, TSPL
SUBJECT: CONGRESSMAN MARKEY SHOWS OPTIMISM IN VIDEO
CONFERENCE WITH EUROPEAN COMMISSION

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1. (SBU) Summary. Congressman Edward Markey (D-MA),
Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy
Independence and Global Warming and co-author of the
American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES, also known
as Waxman-Markey),told Commission officials and
reporters that the Senate could pass similar legislation
prior to Copenhagen on September 29. The ChairmanQs DVC
with three of the CommissionQs chief climate officials -
Karl Falkenberg, Director General for DG Environment;
Matthew Baldwin, climate and energy advisor to President
Barroso; and Nancy Kontou, Chief of Staff to Environment
Commissioner Stavros Dimas - was well received and
elicited several themes:

-- Concern on the part of the Commission that the
Senate will not act on climate legislation during this
year, as both administration and Congressional
priorities are with health care. The Chairman explained
that there was no confidence in Waxman-Markey either,
but it passed in record time;
-- The Commission remains solely focused on
Copenhagen and is concerned that both inertia in the
Senate and the lack of pressure from the administration
will leave the United States without a mandate to
negotiate. The Chairman expressed confidence in the
Senate, noting that most of the stakeholders were
addressed by Waxman-Markey and that several Senators are
pushing to complete as much as possible by Copenhagen;
and
-- Linking carbon markets is almost as important to
the Commission as agreement in Copenhagen, but some
provisions in Waxman-Markey, including border measures
and price collars, are causing concern. End summary.

Chairman Markey Confident of Senate Success
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2. (SBU) Chairman Markey took advantage of the he Commir2t to arkeyQan acknowledged the challenge of health care,
but said that the healQh care debate, when successful,
should add momentum to the climate legislation. He also
noted that since the bill has already been completed in
the House, it will be more difficult for several
Senators to vote against a comparable bill, particularly
those who have endorsed climate legislation in the past.

Target Remains Copenhagen
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5. (SBU) Falkenberg appreciated the ChairmanQs optimism,
but continued to express doubt that the Senate would be
far enough along for the administration to negotiate
strongly in Copenhagen. He noted that there are only 68
days left before Copenhagen, and the world is watching
what is happening in the United States. Many,
particularly China and India, want to see concrete
content from the United States, and while Falkenberg is

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