Date of release : 09-03-2005

Policy area : Environment Environment

Event : Environment Council

Lucien Lux, Luxembourg’s Minister for the Environment, will preside over the European Union’s "Environment" Council, to be held in Brussels on 10 March 2005.

The Council’s discussions, which are intended to send a clear and determined message to the European spring Council, will revolve around two primordial matters at this mid-way point of the Presidency, namely draft conclusions on:

- the Lisbon Strategy, in preparation of the spring European Council

, and  

- climate change – consideration of medium and longer term emission reduction strategies, including targets.

The Council will also discuss preparations for the 13th session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (New York, April 2005). The discussions will take place in the presence of the Chairman of the Session, H.E. Dr John Ashe.

In addition to this, the Council is expected to adopt negotiation directives regarding

- the second meeting of parties to the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Kazakhstan, May 2005)

- the second meeting of parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (Montreal, May /June 2005)

Furthermore, the Council is expected to adopt conclusions regarding preparations for the first conference of the parties to the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Uruguay, May 2005).