Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
The European Commission in Brussels said that Executive Vice President Maros Šefčović and Commissioners Sinkevicius and Hoekstra will represent the Commission at the meeting of the Council of Environment Ministers of the European Union, which will be held tomorrow, Monday, in Luxembourg. The Ministers will discuss preparations for the UN Climate Change Conference COP28, which will be held this year in Dubai from 30 November to 12 December 2023. The Ministers will discuss the EU's negotiating mandate and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement.
Environment ministers will also discuss the Commission's proposal to strengthen CO2 emissions standards for new heavy vehicles, with the aim of reaching a position to start negotiations with the European Parliament. The Commission's proposal for new rules on urban wastewater treatment is also on the agenda. The Commission will also present its new proposal on revising the Waste Framework Directive in relation to food and textile waste, make a recommendation to improve the return rate of used and waste mobile phones, tablets and laptops, and inform the second edition of our report Baltic Conference and Initiatives on Microplastics. Finally, the Commission will update Member States on the current situation by presenting updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).
Before the first meeting of the Environment Council and to prepare the way for the EU's position at COP28, Commissioner Hoekstra devoted his first week in office to visiting four European Member States (Spain, France, Germany and Czechia). During these visits, he met with a number of ministers and spoke with international partners, such as Chinese climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his American counterpart, John Kerry. Following the Council meeting, the Commissioner will immediately undertake his first international trip in preparation for COP28, where he will travel to Brazil and Chile.
A press conference will be held at the end of the meeting with the participation of the Spanish Minister of Environmental Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, and Commissioner Hoekstra.