Summary: 7 October 2008, Brussels - EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas welcomed today's vote by the European Parliament's Environment (ENVI) Committee on main elements of the climate-energy package proposed by the European Commission in January this year.
"The committee's vote is another critical step in the process of equipping the European Union with the concrete measures needed to reach its ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy," Commissioner Dimas said. "It takes us closer to our goal of reaching a final agreement between the Parliament and Council in December so that the EU can take this to the UN climate conference in Poznan, Poland."
"We strongly appreciate the speed with which the Parliament is dealing with this important package, which clearly confirms its sense of responsibility and its commitment to addressing the pressing challenge of climate change. It is important that the committee, while approving a range of amendments, has voted to keep the broad architecture of our proposals unchanged."
Commissioner Dimas added: "The climate-energy package sets an example which our international partners are watching closely, and each step towards finalising it is important. I expect further impetus in this direction from the European Council next week and the Environment Council on 20 October."
Background
Today's votes concerned the Commission's proposals for a revised directive on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), a decision on effort-sharing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in non-EU ETS sector, and a directive on carbon capture and storage. The ENVI committee is the lead committee for these elements of the climate-energy package.
The Commission's proposal on increasing the share of renewable energy was voted on by the Parliament's Industry Committee (ITRE), the lead committee for this issue, last month.
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