The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the outcome of the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change (COP 15).

The resolution had been tabled by the EPP, S&D, ALDE, Greens/ALE, ECR and GUE/NGL groups.

It notes that negotiations ended with a disappointing Accord, which is not legally binding and does not include any emission reduction targets. Parliament regrets the weakness of the Accord as it brings us no closer to a global comprehensive post-2012 agreement, does not set global mid- or long-term reduction targets, and does not state when global emissions would need to peak. It takes note, furthermore, of the disappointment in the public mind as regards the failure to reach a meaningful agreement in Copenhagen. However, delay in finding international agreement is not a justification for postponing further EU policies to achieve the already legally binding commitment to reduce our emissions by 20% by 2020.

Parliament reiterates its desire to move to a 30% reduction , and notes that the initiatives taken within the EU to promote the green economy, energy security and reduced energy dependency will make it increasingly easy to fulfil a 30% reduction commitment. The estimated cost of the EU achieving a 30% cut in 1990 emissions by 2020 is now less than the estimated cost of achieving a 20% cut when that was agreed. Parliament calls on the Commission, therefore, to bring forward a proposal for the EU to raise its ambition and unilaterally to set a 2020 reduction target greater than 20%. It wants the EU to achieve domestic targets through energy savings and renewable energy sources, and calls for an ambitious and binding energy savings target to be agreed as soon as possible;

Members express disappointment at the Member States' lack of unity and urge the EU to speak with one voice in international climate negotiations. They also regrets that the EU was not able, through earlier specific commitments to international public finance for climate efforts in developing countries , to build confidence in the negotiations in order to make further progress in the Ad Hoc Working Groups. They call on the EU to clarify its position regarding a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol being conditional on similar commitments being made by the US under another legal instrument and to ensure that surplus AAUs and LULUCF rules do not undermine its environmental integrity

Parliament underlines that there is a need to create a new 'climate diplomacy' ;, and it calls on the EU's High Representative and the Commissioner responsible for climate action to lead this strategy, especially with the more progressive developing and emerging countries. The EU and its Member States are urged to:

· agree on a 'Roadmap for Mexico' which will include the discussion of climate policies in every strategic partnership and bilateral and multilateral cooperation agreement in order to create a more coherent external climate protection strategy;

· build an 'Alliance of Responsibility', open to all countries that consider climate change as a major threat to humanity and are prepared to act in order to stop global warming;

· enforce the principle of 'climate justice' in the long-term perspective 2050 and beyond. Parliament advocates, therefore, an equity clause in future international climate negotiations.

Parliament stresses the historical responsibility of developed countries for irreversible climate change and their responsibility to provide sufficient financial and technical support to the developing countries. It stresses the need for the EUR 7.2 billion "fast-start" financial support for developing countries, as pledged by the EU Member States, to be, new and additional to ODA budgets , coordinated at EU level and made operational as soon as possible and in any case before the June 2010 meeting in Bonn. This is a key factor in building confidence for a successful meeting in Mexico. The collective contribution by the EU towards developing countries' mitigation efforts and adaptation needs should not be less than EUR 30 000 million per annum by 2020, a figure that may increase as new knowledge is acquired concerning the severity of climate change and the scale of its costs.

The resolution welcomes the ambitious commitment that some developing countries made before, during and after the Copenhagen negotiations. It notes that the Accord found an agreement regarding the verification of developing country mitigation actions that will need to ensure that sovereignty and a proper use of funds are respected.

Members regret the lack of progress in tackling global aviation and maritime emissions. They call on the EU to ensure that the full climate impact of aviation is taken into account and that the reduction targets for the aviation and maritime sectors are the same as other industry sectors in the future agreement.

Parliament goes on to state that it regrets that the USA and China were not prepared to accept a more ambitious agreement for internal policy reasons. It believes that the EU, the USA and China are key to ensuring a binding international agreement and it urges the US and China, as well as other international partners to come up with further commitments to an international system of climate protection, in order to achieve a legally binding international agreement in line with the latest developments in science and consistent with the 2ºC objective. In addition, the EU should immediately enter into negotiations with our US counterparts so that the emerging carbon market in the US is compatible with our own, thereby creating a transatlantic carbon market as a precursor for a global one. Parliament also states in this resolution that it finds it essential, for the competitiveness of EU industry, that comparable efforts be accepted by other industrialised nations outside the EU, as well as reasonable reduction commitments by developing and emerging economies.

The resolution stresses the urgent need for the IPCC t o review all its conclusions in order to confirm that they have been peer-reviewed in accordance with the best principles of science. Future reports should make specific reference to the claims of those who challenge the majority view and that these too should be subjected to peer review.

Lastly, Members consider that the bilateral meetings between the European Parliament and the national parliaments can substantially facilitate understanding among the parties. It envisages holding these meetings before the beginning of the official negotiations in order to contribute in a more meaningful way to the best possible outcome of the negotiations.

The Environment Ministers discussed the outcome and follow-up of the Copenhagen climate conference.

The Presidency drew the following conclusions from the debate:

· the EU strives for an agreement that is legally binding for all parties and sufficiently ambitious to limit global warming well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial level by reducing global emissions by 50% by 2050;

· the Copenhagen Accord is a first step which involves most parties and gives basis to reduction commitments, financing, MRVs and fight against deforestation;

· the climate change challenge has not diminished and further work should follow a tight time schedule with clear deadlines and the EU should continue to offer ambition and leadership. To this end, it is necessary to review, assess and learn from the meeting in Copenhagen. It is important to build on the progress made in the UNFCCC negotiations during the last years, including the COP15;

· the Presidency and the incoming Spanish Presidency look forward to, as a first step, an analysis by the Commission in view of the informal meeting of Environment ministers in Seville in January 2010;

· in the context of the ongoing process, the EU reiterates its conditional offer to move to a 30% reduction by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, provided that other developed countries commit themselves to comparable emission reductions and that developing countries contribute adequately according to their responsibilities and respective capabilities;

· furthermore, the EU and its Member States are ready to contribute with fast-start funding of EUR 2.4 billion annually for the years 2010 to 2012 in the context of implementing the agreement.