The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the 11th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to the parallel first meeting of Parties to its Kyoto Protocol, both held in Montreal in December 2005,

–   having regard to its previous resolutions and, in particular, those of 12 May 2005 on the Seminar of Government Experts on Climate Change(1) and of 16 November 2005 on "Winning the battle against global climate change"(2),

–   having regard to Rule 103(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

1.  Welcomes the overall outcome of the Conference, especially the opening up of the dialogue on a future climate change regime, not only in the context of the Kyoto Protocol but also within that of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; also welcomes the good technical progress that was made on the implementing rules for the existing climate change regime;

2.  Congratulates the Canadian presidency for the energy and vigour with which it prepared the conference and then steered it through to a successful conclusion;

3.  Welcomes the willingness at Montreal of Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to accept a second commitment period after 2012, but stresses the fact that these countries alone do not solve the problem and realises that more countries need to be involved in the fight to curb total emissions globally;

4.  Welcomes the active engagement of the European Union in helping to promote international agreement at Montreal, but considers that it should not become complacent about its role and urges it to maintain a high level of ambition in future discussions with its international partners;

5.  Regrets the fact that the US Administration is still so reluctant to enter into any meaningful international partnership on climate change, but notes that, at least, it did not stand in the way of agreement at Montreal; welcomes also the greater emphasis now being placed on fighting climate change by many key actors in American society, including Members of Congress from both Houses and both parties, state legislators, mayors, NGOs and many in the business community;

6.  Welcomes the fact that rapidly industrialising developing countries appear to be becoming more deeply committed to a climate change dialogue and to exploring innovative ways of fighting and adapting to climate change;

7.  Notes with approval the adoption of a series of important implementing measures aimed at ensuring that the potential of the Kyoto Protocol is properly harnessed and, in particular:

8.  Welcomes the recognition at Montreal not only that there needs to be a new commitment period for Annex I countries to the Kyoto Protocol after 2012, but that there should be no gap between the first and second commitment periods; believes that this should convey a sense of urgency for the new talks, since they must be concluded in sufficient time to complete the ratification process; recalls its request in this context, in its abovementioned resolution of 16 November 2005, that there should be a time limit – the end of 2008 – for reaching agreement on future climate commitments;

9.  Notes that the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol have to submit their initial comments by 15 March 2006 and that the first meeting of the relevant working group is to be held in May 2006;

10.  Welcomes also the initiation in the wider Convention context of dialogue aimed at the development of effective and appropriate national and international responses to climate change, in which all countries can participate; notes, further, that this will be organised in the form of workshops, that Parties are asked to submit their initial views by 15 April 2006, and that there is to be a report on the issues raised at the two forthcoming Conferences of the Parties (COP 12 and COP 13);

11.  Calls for an intensive dialogue between the Parliament, Commission and Council in the run-up to all the above deadlines;

12.  Insists that the EU put forward an ambitious agenda for both sets of talks, in the Kyoto Protocol and Convention contexts;

13.  Recalls two key strategic objectives that were set out in its abovementioned resolution of 16 November 2005:

14.  Calls for intensive review of the advantages and disadvantages of innovative approaches to complement new mandatory reductions for Annex I industrialised countries, such as the concept of contraction and convergence, and the proposed "sectoral pledge approach", whereby key developing countries would take on voluntary greenhouse-gas-intensity targets for major industrial sectors and would receive market and technology incentives to exceed these targets;

15.  Recalls its support for the continuing use of flexible mechanisms, and for the long-term goal of a global carbon market based on cap and trade;

16.  Believes that one of the most important ways of combating climate change is by means of technology development, notes that the EU is to step up its technology cooperation with other countries and calls, therefore, for a detailed exploration of the possibilities being opened up by new technologies, such as renewable energy technologies and carbon capture and storage; reiterates that environmental technologies can give the EU a competitive edge while greatly contributing to emission reduction; notes that environmental technologies are therefore at the heart of a sustainable development strategy compatible with the EU's Kyoto commitments and the Lisbon Strategy and takes the view that research in this field should be boosted and clear environmental performance targets should be adopted in order to encourage the use of the best available technologies;

17.  Considers that Annex I industrialised countries must continue to play a vital role in tackling climate change at world level; calls on Annex I Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, in this context, to meet their existing commitments and to take on ambitious targets for a second commitment period after 2012; calls, moreover, on those industrialised countries that have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol to reconsider their position, to take vigorous domestic measures, and to play an active role in future international negotiations, with a view to their participation in the future climate change regime;

18.  Emphasises the key importance of engaging the rapidly industrialising developing countries in a future international climate change regime, while fully respecting their vital concerns about promoting their economic development and fighting poverty; notes their reluctance to take on binding emission reduction targets at this stage, but hopes that this will ultimately be possible, and considers that adoption of voluntary sectoral targets might be a useful first step; stresses that poverty and poor environmental performance go hand in hand and calls therefore on the EU and its Member States to adopt an ambitious policy of technology partnerships and transfers with developing countries, allowing them to develop their economy and increase their welfare on a more sustainable and climate-friendly basis;

19.  Insists that individual EU countries, and the EU as a whole, live up to their existing commitments, since the EU's leading position in international talks will be undermined if this cannot be achieved; undertakes, in this context, to initiate more systematic monitoring of internal EU action on climate change and the extent to which existing measures are working;

20.  Emphasises the fundamental importance of an integrated EU approach to climate change policy, with sectoral policies on energy conservation and renewable energies, transport, agriculture, industry, research and development etc., complementing rather than contradicting each other; stresses in particular the need for close monitoring of these policies as regards their effects on climate change, and for measures to reduce these effects to the level committed to by the EU in the Kyoto Protocol; recalls its various specific proposals to this effect in its abovementioned resolution of 16 November 2005;

21.  Stresses that energy policy is a crucial element of our global strategy on climate change: diversification of our energy resources and a switch to alternative, more sustainable and environmentally friendly types of energy possess great potential for emission reduction; notes, furthermore, that diversification will make the EU less dependent on external sources and less vulnerable to energy supply crises;

22.  Calls for a close examination of:

23.  Underlines the need to further strengthen the European technological lead and to fight climate change through transfer of technologies, and calls therefore for the development of simple guidelines within the framework of the CDM and of Joint Implementation projects, especially to enable SMEs to benefit from the economic potential of the emerging carbon markets;

24.  Underlines the need for an effective EU communication strategy on climate change, covering proper publicity for the latest scientific evidence on the effects of climate change, the costs of inaction, the provision of detailed information about the carbon content of all products and services, the policy proposals put forward by the EU, the current status of international negotiations, and the specific steps that will have to be taken at the levels of the EU, the Member States and the individual citizen;

25.  Calls for all of its relevant committees and delegations to work together closely on climate change, so that its industrial policy, energy policy, transport, agriculture, research and development and other initiatives are better coordinated with climate change targets, and so that climate change is regularly raised at interparliamentary delegation level and in the context of the Transatlantic Legislative Dialogue;

26.  Reiterates its continued dissatisfaction at the exclusion of its Members who are participating in EU delegations from attendance at the EU coordination meetings, and calls for this to be resolved rapidly, if possible before COP 12 in November 2006;

27.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, with the request that it be circulated to all non-EU Contracting Parties.

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0177. (2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0433.