Environment Council

Ed Davey Excerpts

Thursday 12th June 2014 Written Statements

[The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (Mr Edward Davey)]

My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for natural environment and science, Lord de Mauley and I will attend EU Environment Council in Luxemburg on 12 June. Paul Wheelhouse, Minister for Environment and Climate Change in the Scottish Government, will also attend.

Following the adoption of the agenda there will be an approval of the list of “A” items. There will be two legislative items, first an exchange of views on the Commission’s air quality package both on medium combustion plants and national emission ceilings directives. The second legislative item is for political agreement on the Commission proposal regarding the possibility for member states to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their territory. A vote may be requested on this item. There are two non-legislative items, draft Council conclusions on “Convention on Biological Diversity”; as well as a policy debate on the Commission’s communication on “A policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030”.

There will be a lunch time discussion on the Commission’s recent communication on “A decent life for all: From Vision to Collective Action”, sustainable development goals and the post-2015 process.

There is a series of AOB items covering:

Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport.

Proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending directive on packaging and packaging waste to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags.

Proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion of the Doha amendment to the Kyoto protocol to the UN framework convention on climate change and the joint fulfilment of commitments.

International meetings and events.

Endocrine disrupters.

EU action plan for highly fluorinated substances (PFAS).

Work programme of the incoming presidency.