Press release 02 April 2009
Ministry of the Environment

The climate and the Baltic Sea in focus when Andreas Carlgren visited Paris and The Hague

The Governments of France and the Netherlands are backing Swedens priorities in the environmental area during the upcoming Presidency of the EU. This is what Minister for the Environment Andreas Carlgren was told when he visited Paris and The Hague on 3031 March.

In Paris on Monday Mr Carlgen had talks with Mr Jean-Louis Borloo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Town and Country Planning. They discussed work during the Swedish Presidency and the state of the international climate negotiations. Mr Borloo expressed French support for Sweden during its Presidency and for Swedish leadership of the EU in the run up to and during the climate meeting in Copenhagen.

- I welcome Mr Borloo´s statement. We share the view that the step taken by the EU in setting high ambitions in its climate and energy package makes demands on the US and other industrialised countries to formulate comparable targets for their own emissions reductions ahead of the final phase of the negotiations, said Mr Carlgren.

Mr Borloo also confirmed that France is backing Sweden´s desire to make the Baltic Sea a pilot area for the implementation of the EU Marine Strategy.

- It is very valuable to have support from one of the core EU countries in bringing the muscle of the EU to bear on improving the Baltic Sea environment. Mr Borloo was clear about identifying the state of the Baltic Sea as a matter for the whole of the EU and in saying that what is being done there today can provide a model for future action in other regions. As I have previously received the same signals from the Governments of Germany, Spain and Poland, I see good prospects of achieving results for the Baltic Sea during our Presidency, said Mr Carlgren.

During his day in Paris Mr Carlgren also met the French Agriculture Minister Michel Barnier and the Head of the OECD Climate Change, Natural Resources and Environmental Outlooks Division Helen Mountford.

Mr Carlgren then went on to The Hague on Tuesday to meet the Dutch Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning Jacqueline Cramer. The Swedish Presidency and the climate talks were also on the agenda there.

- Our talks included negotiating issues concerning funding. There we agree that a global carbon dioxide market has to be the main instrument for reducing emissions. This can generate the flows of private investments that will account for the bulk of the funding needed for climate adaptation and technology transfer. Over and above this, new and increased public support is required, especially for the very poorest countries, said Mr Carlgren.