NordenBladet —
Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee Peeter Tali said that the Committee had decided to give fundamental support to the positions of the Government, taking into account the opinions of the Environment Committee, the Economic Affairs Committee and the Rural Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu, as well as the input of the Chancellor of Justice, the organisations representing employers and the Estonian Forest and Wood Industries Association.
“After a thorough and lengthy debate, the Committee reached a compromise. Estonia believes that a 90% greenhouse gas emissions reduction compared to 1990 levels across the European Union is not achievable without the availability of new technologies,” Tali said. “Therefore, Estonia can only conditionally agree to the European Commission’s proposal, which can be achieved by ensuring, for example, the availability of new technologies, the taking into account of the specific characteristics of countries, the equal access to funding, the mid-term assessment of climate targets and updating them if necessary. We must not in any way artificially put our businesses, industry and agriculture in a weaker competitive position.”
He pointed out that the European Union Affairs Committee held the debate on climate targets at a public sitting because the Committee had committed itself to being as open and transparent as possible and hear all parties when dealing with EU issues with a wide impact.
It was underlined at the sitting that regarding the Communication, Estonia was not taking on any new commitments or raising its ambition, but was choosing how to move towards its 2050 climate neutrality target. It was pointed out that each country must be able to decide for itself in which sector and at what pace it would reduce emissions. A legislative initiative on amending the European Climate Law is expected in the first half of the new year.
The European Union Affairs Committee underlined the importance of the competitiveness of the Estonian economy and the protection of Europe’s and Estonia’s security interests in achieving climate targets. The Committee added an amendment to the positions, where the need to ensure security in a broader sense is highlighted, with a particular focus on energy security along with food security and security of supply.
To emphasise parliamentary scrutiny, the Committee added a clause to the positions, according to which the committees of the Riigikogu must be kept informed about the climate target negotiations in Europe and involved as early as possible in the drafting of positions regarding the legislative proposals arising from the Communication, so that there would be time for in-depth debate.
The positions of the Government regarding the European Union’s 2040 climate target were presented at the sitting by Minister of Climate Yoko Alender and Deputy Secretary General for Green Transition at the Ministry of Climate Kristi Klaas. Adviser of the Foreign Relations Department Marina Bantšenko, Head of the Climate Department Laura Remmelgas and Adviser of the Climate Department Merilyn Möls from the Ministry of Climate, and Line Manager at the Land Use Policy Department of the Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture Argo Peepson also attended the sitting.
The discussion of the public item of the agenda is available for viewing on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.
Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Link uudisele: The European Union Affairs Committee made Estonia’s positions for climate target negotiations more conditional
Source: Parliament of Estonia