Press Release: 3342nd Council meeting Environment – Luxembourg, 28 October 2014

Main results of the Council

Lima Climate Conference

The Council adopted conclusions on the preparations for the 20th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 20), which will take place from 1 to 12 December 2014 in Lima, Peru. 'The conclusions adopted by the Council build on the agreement reached in Brussels last week by EU leaders. Both pave the way for Europe to take a leading role on climate challenges with a view to the Lima Conference in December and the Paris Conference in 2015. Our goal is a fair and ambitious global agreement, which would make all countries of the world responsible for a crucial issue for the future of the planet, setting out a model of socially and environmentally sustainable development', said the president of the Council, Italian Minister for the Environment Gian Luca Galletti.

The conclusions set out the main elements of the EU position for the Lima Conference, focusing in particular on the 2015 agreement and pre-2020 mitigation ambition.

Greening the European Semester and the Europe 2020 Strategy

The Council adopted conclusions on Greening the European Semester and the Europe 2020 Strategy. 'The Council has achieved a very important political objective: all EU environment ministers are now demanding a strong focus on sustainability and efficient use of resources by integrating them into the 2020 Strategy and therefore adding a new environmental dimension to it. The transition to a green and circular economy is a real possibility for development for Europe, an effective tool to combat the crisis and a new field of activity on which to focus in order to create millions of new jobs', said Minister Galletti.

The conclusions are the contribution by the environment sector to the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy, adopted in 2010, which is a central element of the EU's response to the global economic crisis.

Waste management

Ministers held a first public policy debate on a legislative proposal for an amending directive addressing the management of different types of waste. The aim of the proposal is to improve waste management in the European Union, with a view to protecting the quality of the environment and ensuring prudent and rational use of natural resources.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Council conclusions on Greening the European semester and the Europe 2020 Strategy - Mid-term review http://www.europeansources.info/record/council-conclusions-on-greening-the-european-semester-and-the-europe-2020-strategy-mid-term-review/

European Commission: RAPID: MEMO/14/604: Preparation Environment Council, 28 October 2014 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-604_en.htm

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