Published: 31 Jan 2008
Just a week after
the launch in Brussels of the European Commission's
climate change and energy package, EEA hosted
a high-level debate with EU officials and
representatives of the Danish industry and
civil society organisations.
The debate, co-organised
with the European Commission representation
in Denmark, was held at the premises of
the EEA in Copenhagen on 30 January and
presented the views of a wide spectrum of
stakeholders, from the Confederation of
Danish industries (DI) and environmental
NGOs. Two representatives from the European
Commission, Peter Gammeltoft (DG Environment)
and Hans van Steen (DG Transport and Energy)
shared the panel with Richard B. Larsen
(DI), John Nordbo (WWF) and Ulrich Bang
(Danish Energy Association). The debate
was chaired by EEA's Programme Manager Jeff
Huntington with an audience of 50 Danish
participants.
There was appreciation
of the effort the Commission is making to
communicate the package to and debate it
with a wide range of stakeholders across
Europe, and recognition that putting the
package together was an immense achievement
by the Commission. On the substance, there
was general support for more harmonisation
across Member States, and a lively debate
with different views on a range of topics
including:
• Should the package
not also have focused on a higher GHG emission
reduction ambition level (– 30 % by 2020)
as well as – 20 % since the EU at the Bali
climate change conference made a strong
plea for developed countries to reduce emissions
by 25–40 %?
• Is the burden on Danish industry and consumers
reasonable?
• Should Europe be restrictive in the use
of Joint Implementation and Clean Development
Mechanisms?
• How should the income from auctioning
of emission allowances under the proposed
EU ETS be best used?
• Are the costs for especially energy intensive
industry not becoming too high leading to
a loss of competitiveness compared to industry
outside Europe?
• Should the goal of 20 % improvement in
energy efficiency by 2020 not also be legally
binding as the other targets?
