European Parliament agrees to ratification next week

EU states agreed a shortcut to ratify the Paris climate deal today in order to trigger its entry into force next week. The decision was reached at an extraordinary meeting of the Environment Council in Brussels. “Commissioner Arias Cañete did a great job to accommodate concerns. This is a real success for the EU. It is very good news that all EU Member states now back the agreement. Poland sought concessions during the negotiations until the last minute”, said environmental policy spokesman, Dr. Peter Liese, of the EPP-Group in the European Parliament. “We will maintain Europe’s leadership role in combating climate change. The European Parliament will vote on the ratification on October 4 and will approve the fast-track ratification. It short-cuts 28 separate national ratification processes and shows that the EU is able to agree quickly. We delivered on our promises”

 

The agreement enters into force on the thirtieth day after the date on which at least 55 nations, accounting in total for at least an estimated 55 % of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, have ratified it. Currently, there are 191 signatories to the Paris Agreement.  Of these, 61 Parties to the Convention have also deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval accounting in total for 47.79% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. This means, 7% are still missing. The EU-28 is responsible for 12% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Germany, Hungary, France, Austria and Slovakia have already individually ratified the Paris agreement and are waiting to deposit their instruments of ratification together with the other EU member states.

“It would have been embarrassing for the EU, if the agreement would have entered into force without the EU. As India (responsible for 4%) and Canada (2%) announced their ratification for the coming days, the 55% threshold would have been reached without the EU-28 contribution”, said Peter Liese.