Downing Street Says

Asked for more information on the Prime Minister s trip to Brussels, the Prime Minister s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that the Prime Minister would travel to Brussels tomorrow, with the Council meeting starting at about 3pm. The main items to be discussed would be energy and climate change and the economy.

On energy and climate change, the talks in Brussels coincided with the global talks in Poznan, which were taking place at the same time. The discussion in Brussels would focus specifically on the EU 2020 package of measures, which had been drawn up by the European Commission in order to set the stage for Europe s position on the global negotiations on an ambitious climate change agreement in Copenhagen next year.

The 2020 package which we supported included a commitment for a 20% reduction in the EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 which could rise to 30% subject to a satisfactory international agreement being reached, renewable sources accounting for 20% of the EU s energy by 2020 and a 20% improvement in energy efficiency as well as a strengthening of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

On the economy we would expect the main discussion to take place over dinner tomorrow. The basis for that discussion would be formed by the European Commission s economic recovery plan, which we also supported and was mentioned by President Barroso when he came to the UK earlier in the week. That included proposals for EU-wide fiscal stimulus of the order of around 1-1.5% of GDP.

Asked if there would be any discussion on the situation in Ireland, the PMS said that we would expect a report from the Irish Prime Minister on the situation in Ireland. Asked whether the UK agreed with the Irish that every country should have a commissioner, the PMS advised people to wait and see what the Irish said at the meeting tomorrow as he would not want to pre-empt that.

Asked if the EU s 2020 targets were the same as the UK s targets, the PMS said that our targets stretched out for a longer time period. We recently committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2050.

Asked whether the Prime Minister would change his mind on a referendum in Britain if the Irish held a second referendum on the EU Treaty, the PMS said that we had ratified our Treaty and Parliament had expressed its will and that was the settled British position. As to the Irish position, people would have to wait and see what the Irish said at the meeting tomorrow.

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» Wednesday, December 10, 2008

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