It has now been established that the major victims of climate change will be the planet's poorest and most vulnerable populations, starting with the Africans who will be the hardest hit. According to the UN, 50 million of the victims of climate change could become climate refugees and they currently do not benefit from any form of specific legal protection.

To what extent are the EU's current development policies being used to reduce the number of environmental refugees?

Does the Commission share the conviction that it absolutely essential to obtain legal recognition of the status of these refugees, so that they can benefit from the same rights as those defined under the Geneva Convention and, if so, how does it intend to ensure that this recognition becomes reality at European and international level?