A better climate

“We have been equal to the slogan of our Presidency, that is, we have addressed the challenge”, declared Fredrik Reinfeldt, Swedish Premier and current President of the Council of the European Union, confirming his role as “motivator” and “spokesman” of the 27. The heads of state and of government met in Brussels on 29 and 30 October to tackle a series of urgent issues (climate change, economy, Lisbon Treaty, foreign policy, strategy for the Baltic region, immigration) and the Swedish Premier tried to reach a “provisional agreement” on each point. With variable success and some issues still left unresolved.Between politics and diplomacy. The negotiations were protracted for two days, “but now we can say we are more than satisfied”, said Reinfeldt at the end of the European Council. Under his chairmanship, “a very solid negotiating position on the climate has been reached”. The Swedish Premier explained: “The agreement concerns the long term objectives for the reduction of emissions, impact and mitigation, technology transfer and especially the question of costs”. In substance the Council has adopted the proposal of the Commission, which believes that a sum of a hundred billion per year would be needed for the period 2013-2020 for a programme of mitigation and adaptation in the developing countries, the first to “pay the price” for climate change. The EU would have to shell out – it is calculated – a sum no lower than 22 billion euro per year, apportioning the cost within the EU “on the basis of the economic conditions of its member states”, as Poland had requested. “But all this can only happen – added Reinfeldt – if the other world players assume their responsibilities”. Talks with Obama. The agreement reached among EU countries in preparation for the UN Conference in Copenhagen on 7-18 December also comprises “contributions for roughly 7 billion euro per year from now until 2013 which will serve for the developing countries to prepare to tackle the effects of climate change”. “But these contributions – specified Reinfeldt, with the implication that the summit had failed to reach a general agreement on costs – will be on a voluntary basis”. To prepare for Copenhagen, Reinfeldt himself and Commission President Barroso flew to the USA on 3 November for talks with President Obama. As far as the Lisbon Treaty is concerned, the current President of the Council emphasized the compromise deal reached in consultation with the delegation of the Czech Republic: after the pronouncement of the Czech Constitutional Court (3 November), “Czech President Klaus should sign the Treaty at the earliest moment”, having obtained, as he had requested, the opt-out clause on the Charter of Fundamental Rights. No point of convergence, on the other hand, has been reached on the possible candidates to whom the main institutional posts laid down at Lisbon could be assigned. The summit, however, did play some useful role in clarifying the profile of the European External Action Service (so-called “EU embassies”) and gave the go-ahead to the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea.Economy and unemployment. “A great step forward, a turning point”, commented José Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission, with his usual enthusiasm, on the conclusions of the European Council in view of the UN climate-change Conference. “Now we’re ready for Copenhagen, and Europe can continue to act as world leader on the environmental front”. He then added: “Of course we are not ingenuous: we’re ready to act so long as the others too play their part”. The EU expects the USA, Japan, Canada, India, China and other world powers to act in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and giving financial support to the poor countries. “On the basis of all this, Copenhagen can be transformed into a success”. Barroso then commented on the other issues on the table at the summit: Lisbon Treaty, immigration, economic, infrastructural and social development in the Baltic Sea area. “On the economic level – he clarified – we need to go ahead with the economic stimulus measures, but it’s time to think of a common exit strategy from the crisis”. Swedish premier Reinfeldt explained: “We have signals of recovery, but the problem of unemployment clearly remains”: in Europe, as Eurostat has confirmed in recent days, unemployment continues to grow and has reached 22 million jobless.Various still open questions. Now that the spotlight is no longer on the summit, various unresolved problems remain. As for the nomination of the “permanent” President and “foreign minister” of the Union, the game is still very much open, so much so that Reinfeldt intends to convene an extraordinary summit (or a working lunch or dinner with his European colleagues) between 12 and 19 November. A second problem concerns the date of the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty: providing there are no new surprises from Prague, a first viable date could be the 1st December, or 1st January 2010. The college of Commissioners, which reached the end of its mandate on 31 October, is also awaiting the Treaty’s speedy entry into force to be renewed.