Bas Eickhout (Verts/ALE). – Madam President, I would like to focus on climate change and the role of the G7, because I think it cannot be stressed enough how important the G7 has been in history in setting the global climate change agenda. In 2009 – back then it was a G8 – it was the first time when the global players were setting the agenda for the 2°C target, which ended up in the Copenhagen agreement. Then, in 2015, the phase-out of fossil fuels was adopted by the G7: that was setting the agenda for the Paris Agreement later on in the year.

That shows how crucial this G7 will be on what is going to happen with the implementation of the Paris Agreement. We know that the United States is trying to push back and trying to get the significance of fossil fuels back on the agenda, whereas we all know that Paris requires a phase-out of fossil fuels. So we cannot give in, in any way, to what the Americans are asking. We cannot slow down; investors are watching to see what will come of it. But this will also set the agenda for the G20 later on in the year.

What the G7 is going to say will either make sure that Paris will be implemented as agreed, or it will put the wind in the sails of conservative countries like Saudi Arabia and Russia. So, the conclusion of the question is very simple, and I would like to have an answer on that. If we cannot get those conclusions with the United States, will we push for a G6 statement on climate?