Europe must be the technological pioneer, warns Merkel on climate protection

Chancellor Angela Merkel is today travelling to the European Council in Brussels. Climate protection, energy policy and the Lisbon Strategy are on the agenda of the spring meeting, which traditionally deals with economic issues.

The Chancellor will first open the exhibition "Views of Europe", which presents more than 150 masterpieces of nineteenth century German painting. Many German artists, from Karl Friedrich Schinkel to Casper David Friedrich and Adolph Menzel, have immortalised their own views of Europe.

Action plan for climate protection and energy policy on the agenda

On Thursday, International Women's Day, the Chancellor will open the exhibition "European Women" prior to the first session of the European Council.

The Council will focus on climate and energy at this session. An integrated package of measures is to be adopted, an action plan for climate protection and energy policy. Alongside climate protection it will embrace external energy relations and the internal market, competition and environmental protection. The Council will be looking at three particular aspects of climate protection: reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, increasing the use of renewables and making energy savings.

Emissions of greenhouse gases to be cut by 20 percent by 2020

The EU Presidency has ambitious goals in climate protection. EU emissions of greenhouse gases are to be reduced by 20 percent by 2020. If other non-EU states are prepared to collaborate, a target of 30 percent will be considered.

Within the framework of a process which can last several years, the targets for each individual member state will be established.

Raising the share of renewables in the energy mix to 20 percent

As well as looking at ways to reduce CO2 emissions, the Council will be discussing renewable energies. It is hoped that the Council will agree to raise the percentage of total power generation coming from renewable sources to 20 percent. Currently, renewables account for 6.5 percent of energy generated in the EU. These changes in energy policy will, of course, come a at a price, but the costs of deferring action would be higher.

This should also be seen as an opportunity for the European economy. It should become the technological pioneer in the energy sector. Today, the European Union already leads the field in technology for renewable energies. It holds 60 percent of the market for wind power worldwide.

Energy savings have an immediate impact

The quickest way to make a difference is to use less energy. On average, 8 percent of the electricity bills of private households is accounted for by lighting. If, in Germany alone, all traditional bulbs were replaced with energy saving light bulbs, we could save 6.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

By way of comparison, the essential building rehabilitation programme will save about one million tonnes CO2 emissions.

Signalling unity in Berlin

At the official dinner, the Chancellor will present her main message for the Berlin Declaration, which is to lay out the challenges facing us in future. The Declaration addresses the citizens of the European Union in particular.

It will be officially signed at the meeting of Heads of State and Government in Berlin on 25 March.

Cutting red tape

The two working sessions on Friday morning will be dedicated to the Lisbon Strategy. This includes completing the internal market and cutting red tape to enhance flexibility.

The European Commission has set itself the goal of cutting 25 percent of red tape for businesses by 2011. This should free up resources and make possible an additional 1.5 percent economic growth.

Ambitious climate protection goals:

Any reduction in CO2 emissions is ambitious. The Kyoto Protocol demands that the European Union cut CO2 emissions by 8 percent between 1990 and 2012, i.e. over a period of 22 years.

The climate protection goal that is to be adopted as part of the action plan would require the EU to cut emissions by a further 12 percent between 2012 and 2020, i.e. within only eight years. By the beginning of 2007, the EU had managed to achieve 1.2 percent of the 8 percent reduction agreed in Kyoto. - SOURCE: Federal Government of Germany