RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

3.10.2016 - (12256/2016 – C8‑0401/2016 – 2016/0184(NLE)) - ***

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(12256/2016 – C8‑0401/2016 – 2016/0184(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (12256/2016),

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 192(1) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8-0401/2016),

–  having regard to the Paris Agreement adopted at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), held in Paris, France in December 2015,

–  having regard to the Commission communication entitled The Road from Paris: assessing the implications of the Paris Agreement and accompanying the proposal for a Council decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COM(2016)0110),

–  having regard to the European Council conclusions of 23 and 24 October 2014,

–  having regard to the submission on 6 March 2015 by Latvia and the European Commission to the UNFCCC of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) of the EU and its Member States,

–  having regard to Rule 99(1), first and third subparagraphs, Rule 99(2), and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A8-0280/2016),

1.  Gives its consent to conclusion of the Paris Agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and to the United Nations.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Background

The Paris Agreement is a historically significant landmark achievement for combating climate change and for multilateralism. It represents an ambitious, balanced, equitable and legally binding agreement. The adoption of the Agreement and the cumulative announcements by the end of COP21 of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) by 187 Parties marked a decisive turning point towards comprehensive and collective global action, and, when implemented, will definitively and irreversibly accelerate the transition to a climate resilient, climate neutral global economy. This global action aims to put the world on track to avoid dangerous climate change. The Agreement acknowledges that a global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions should be reached as quickly as possible and climate neutrality should be achieved in the second half of this century. The Paris Agreement includes the following key features:

- It sets out a long term goal to put the world on track to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels – and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C; The aspirational goal of 1.5°C was agreed to drive greater ambition, and to highlight the concerns of the most vulnerable countries that are already experiencing the impacts of climate change.

- It sends a clear signal to all stakeholders, investors, businesses, civil society and policy-makers that the global transition to clean energy is here to stay and that resources have to shift away from fossil fuels; with 189 national climate plans covering some 98% of all emissions, tackling climate change is now become a truly global effort. With Paris, we are moving from action by a few to action by all.

- It provides a dynamic mechanism to take stock and strengthen ambition over time. Starting from 2023, Parties will come together every five years in a "global stocktake" to consider progress in emissions reductions, adaptation and support provided and received in view of the long-term goals of the Agreement.

- Parties have a legally binding obligation to pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of their contributions.

- It sets up an enhanced transparency and accountability framework, including the biennial submission by all Parties of greenhouse gas inventories and the information necessary to track their progress, a technical expert review, a facilitative, multilateral consideration of Parties' progress and mechanism to facilitate implementation of and promote compliance.

- It provides an ambitious solidarity package with adequate provisions on climate finance and on addressing needs linked to adaptation and loss and damage associated with adverse effects of climate change. To promote individual and collective action on adaptation, the Paris Agreement establishes for the first time a global goal with the aim to enhance capacity, climate resilience and reduce climate vulnerability. Internationally, it encourages greater cooperation among Parties to share scientific knowledge on adaptation as well as information on practices and policies.

Position of the Rapporteur

The rapporteur welcomes the draft Commission proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Paris Agreement and believes that it provides the necessary basis for the conclusion of the Paris Agreement by the EU and its Member States. The EU and its Member States have expressed their intention to act jointly under the Paris Agreement and this is reflected in Article 4, paragraph 18 of the Paris Agreement. The Union and its Member States are therefore jointly responsible for preparing, communicating and maintaining successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) which they intend to achieve and for pursuing domestic mitigation measures. As a first step, the Commission and the Council on behalf of the European Union and all 28 Member States signed the Paris Agreement at the high-level signature ceremony that took place in New York on 22 April 2016.

The Paris Agreement will enter into force on the 30th day after the date on which at least 55 parties to the Convention accounting in total for at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to the UN. As of 29 June 2016, 178 States had signed the Paris Agreement, and 19 States had deposited instruments for its ratification, accounting in total for 0.18 % of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. There is increasing international momentum to allow the Paris Agreement to enter into force in 2016. An example is the Leaders’ Declaration adopted at the G7 Summit in Ise-Shima, Japan, on 26-27 May 2016, which calls on all Parties to strive towards the entry into force of the Paris Agreement in 2016.

The rapporteur believes that it is unthinkable that the Paris Agreement enter into force without the EU as a signatory, considering the EU leadership on the fight against climate change, its role in the Kyoto Protocol, and its continuous efforts towards a subsequent universal treaty. For this reason, he urges the Council and the individual Member States to take the necessary steps to complete their EU and national ratification process no later than the end of 2016.

The EU and its Member States were the first major economies to communicate their intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) on 6 March 2015, reflecting the 2030 climate and energy policy framework set by the October 2014 European Council. The EU has set an ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40% domestically by 2030. Since then, the EU and its Member States have already committed themselves to achieving this target, which concerns the emission reduction efforts for the period 2020-2030. The rapporteur therefore believes that the EU ratification process needs to be decoupled from the current and forthcoming legislative actions to implement the at least 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

Conclusion

The rapporteur considers that the ratification decision on the conclusion of the Paris Agreement adopted under the UNFCCC will send a strong signal and highlight the leadership of the EU and its Member States and their continuing efforts to address climate change at international level. Furthermore, the implementation of the Paris Agreement will play a crucial contribution to global efforts to tackle climate change. For these reasons, the rapporteur considers the formal entry into force of the Paris Agreement as a major priority for the European Union. He therefore invites the Council to take all necessary steps to finalise its position on the Paris Agreement ratification, together with the parallel national ratification processes in the Member States, as soon as possible, so as to finalise the EU ratification process and deposit the instruments of ratification to the UN before the end of 2016.

Given the above-mentioned considerations, the Rapporteur suggests that the Committee responsible and the European Parliament give their consent to the draft Commission proposal for a Council Decision without undue delay.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Council Decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of the Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
References	12256/2016 – C8-0401/2016 – COM(2016)0395 – 2016/0184(NLE)
Date of consultation / request for consent	30.9.2016
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	ENVI
Rapporteurs        Date appointed	Giovanni La Via 15.6.2016
Discussed in committee	1.9.2016
Date adopted	3.10.2016
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	54 3 0
Members present for the final vote	Margrete Auken, Pilar Ayuso, Zoltán Balczó, Ivo Belet, Simona Bonafè, Biljana Borzan, Soledad Cabezón Ruiz, Nessa Childers, Miriam Dalli, Jørn Dohrmann, Stefan Eck, Eleonora Evi, Karl-Heinz Florenz, Francesc Gambús, Elisabetta Gardini, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Jens Gieseke, Sylvie Goddyn, Matthias Groote, Françoise Grossetête, György Hölvényi, Jean-François Jalkh, Karin Kadenbach, Giovanni La Via, Norbert Lins, Susanne Melior, Miroslav Mikolášik, Massimo Paolucci, Gilles Pargneaux, Piernicola Pedicini, Bolesław G. Piecha, Pavel Poc, Frédérique Ries, Annie Schreijer-Pierik, Estefanía Torres Martínez, Nils Torvalds, Damiano Zoffoli
Substitutes present for the final vote	Mark Demesmaeker, Linnéa Engström, Fredrick Federley, Eleonora Forenza, Elena Gentile, Esther Herranz García, Jan Huitema, Merja Kyllönen, Joëlle Mélin, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Gabriele Preuß, Christel Schaldemose, Jasenko Selimovic, Bart Staes, Tom Vandenkendelaere
Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote	Tiziana Beghin, José Bové, Jude Kirton-Darling, Olle Ludvigsson, Igor Šoltes
Date tabled	3.10.2016