The Council adopted its conclusions on the follow-up to the 12th conference of the parties (COP 12) to the UN framework convention on climate change (UNFCCC) in conjunction with the 2nd session of the conference of the parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto protocol (COP/MOP 2), which took place in Nairobi, from 6 to 17 November 2006.
The Council welcomed the outcome of the conference and found the following particularly encouraging:
- the adoption of the Nairobi programme of work on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change;
- the agreement on the principles and modalities for the operation and governance of the Adaptation Fund;
- the agreement on the work programme for the completion of the mandate of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol;
- the decision that the second review of the Kyoto Protocol pursuant to Article 9 shall take place at COP/MOP 4 in 2008 and shall be prepared by COP/MOP 3 in 2007;
- the progress in advancing the Dialogue on long-term cooperative action to address climate change by enhancing implementation of the Convention, with a view to a fruitful outcome at COP 13 in 2007;
- the agreement to hold a workshop on the proposal of the Russian Federation on voluntary commitments.
Delegations had the opportunity to exchange views about the strategy for reaching an agreement for after 2012 and about its possible shape. They were invited to provide guidance for the Spring European Council. Discussions focused in particular on the following topics:
- the EU leadership role in 2007 and beyond;
- the kind of opening that the EU should make now on its possible role in a future agreement; the way in which the global context of the EU's commitments should be taken into account;
- general elements on which the EU should focus when developing options for a post 2012 arrangement.
At the end of the debate, the President summed-up the delegations interventions as follows:
- there is agreement that the EU needs to show strong leadership in order to prevent the international negotiations from stalling and to accelerate them in order to reach agreement on a global post-2012 regime by 2009 at the latest;
- in this context, the EU looks forward to the Energy Strategy and the Climate Change Communication package, to be presented by the Commission on 10 January;
- on the basis of these documents, the EU will need to determine its position to move forward the international negotiations. It is to be hoped that on the basis of our work and our renewed commitment, the EU will be able to reinvigorate the international negotiations in order to achieve as soon as possible the much needed global agreement.