Meeting of deputy climate ministers organised by Germany
18.09.2020
The European Commission's proposal to increase the emission reduction target by 2030 was the main topic of the meeting of Visegrád Four, along with representatives of Bulgaria and Romania with Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of State at the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety of Germany. The talks, which were held on 17 September 2020, were attended by Vice-Minister of Climate Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński.
EU energy and climate policy is one of the priorities of the Polish Presidency in the Visegrád Four. During the meeting, the Polish side expressed its concern about the proposal presented by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to increase the emission reduction target by 2030. “to at least 55%” both on behalf of the V4 and its own.
We want answers on how the European Union wants to achieve this ambitious objective and what tools we should use pointed out Vice-Minister of Climate Adam Guibourgé-Czetwertyński during the meeting.
We fear that without adequate support some Member States will have to make disproportionate efforts compared to others, he added.
The Vice-Minister also highlighted the key role of the European Council in making decisions on the revision of the 2030 target. Furthermore, he pointed out that the additional emission reduction effort should not burden the poorest citizens. As Vice-Minister Guibourgé-Czetwertyński pointed out, the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis, which has significantly reduced the ability of Member States to cope with climate policy challenges, cannot be overlooked either.