Press release
29 May 2009
Ministry of the Environment
Climate and the Baltic Sea in focus for work on the environment during the Swedish Presidency
"The climate, the Baltic Sea, biological diversity and an eco-efficient economy will be the central environmental issues during the Swedish Presidency." This statement was made by Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren in Stockholm today when he presented the agenda for work in the coming six months.
"Sweden is well-equipped to move the EU environmental agenda forward during our Presidency. We have a highly intensive and exciting six months ahead of us," says Mr Carlgren.
Mr Carlgren will make a number of trips within and outside Europe, and by the start of the Presidency on 1 July will have visited colleagues in all 27 EU Member States.
"We are aiming to achieve results in several areas, where climate negotiations and the Baltic Sea environment will be particularly time-consuming. So it is important for me as Council Chair to establish and develop contacts with EU governments," says Mr Carlgren.
Sweden's most important environmental areas during the Presidency are:
The climate
"The work in the final stages of negotiations this autumn will be absolutely crucial to whether we will achieve an ambitious global agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. The EU must stand fast by its ambitious goals and push for a global agreement, but we must also get other industrial countries to join us in making comparable efforts to reduce emissions," says Mr Carlgren.
Baltic Sea
"We want to see the Baltic Sea designated as a pilot project area in the EU and for this to be a mainstay of the Baltic Sea strategy to be presented by the European Commission in June. The Baltic Sea is to be an example for the entire European Union of how development can be turned around in a poisoned sea, and of how funding, agricultural efforts and fisheries policy can be coordinated to create a better environment. I have received broad support for this work among my environment minister colleagues in the EU," says Mr Carlgren.
Biological diversity
"We will emphasise the central role of the ecosystems in future social development and prepare the EU for the adoption of a new long-term goal for biological diversity at global level in 2010. An international platform is also needed for research on biological diversity and ecosystem services. I also want to see greater breadth in EU work as regards the impact of climate change on biological diversity. A key opportunity to discuss this will be a high-level meeting on nature conservation in Strömstad on 7-9 September, when we will also open Sweden's first marine national park in Kosterhavet," says Mr Carlgren.
Eco-efficient economy
"The climate challenge can be combined with efforts to strengthen the economy and competitiveness. We want to improve EU job and growth opportunities by investing in energy efficiency, renewable resources and recycling. This will be the main theme of the informal meeting of energy and environment ministers in Åre in July, and it will also set its stamp on the agenda of the informal Council meeting on competition issues in Umeå in October," concludes Mr Carlgren.
Contact
Mattias JohanssonPress Secretary to Andreas Carlgren
Karin Rappsjö-Emanuelli
Political Adviser
Tel: +46 8 405 24 14
Mobile: +46 708 39 02 06
