26th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol
Paris, 17-21November 2014
Intervention of the European Union and its 28MemberStates
High-level segment
Mr. President,
Your Excellences,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to express, on behalf of the European Union and its 28 MemberStates, special thanks to
- theOzone Secretariat for organising the meetingand for putting in place all the support needed for this event to run smoothly and efficiently,
- France as the host country for its hospitality and,
- UNESCO for the use of its facilities.
The Montreal Protocol has achieved notable successes for more than 25 years, many of which can be attributed to a unique combination of factors. In their efforts to halt further depletion of the ozone layer, Article A5 and non-Article 5Parties work together,employing sound advice from assessment panels, and with assistance from the Multilateral Fundto allow the transfer of know-how and to permit capacity building. At the same time, a compliance system enables countries that have not yet met their targets to make the necessary progressive steps.
The actions taken have not only halted further depletion of the ozone layer but have contributed significantly to the mitigation of climate change as mostof the controlled substances are also potent GHGs. The decrease of ODS emissions achieved under the Montreal Protocol is equivalent to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions that is five times greater than the target of the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
The European Union is pleased to have contributed to the success of the Montreal Protocol and reiterates its commitment to contribute to current and future objectives.
Looking at these successes, we are confident that we can tackle the challenges ahead. But we cannot afford to lower our guard.
The EU is concerned about the rapidly growing production and consumption of HFCs as alternatives to HCFCs and other ODSs. These HFCswill represent a significant portion of all GHG emissions by 2030 if no action is taken. We believe that international action is urgently needed - and possible - and that the Montreal Protocol is the right instrument to deal effectively with the production and consumption of HFCs. Parties should seize this opportunity to mitigate climate change in a cost-effective manner.We therefore thank the proponents of the amendment proposals for their great efforts in recent yearsin addressing this question in earnest.
We welcome growing global consensus in supporting action on HFCs under the Montreal Protocol. This consensus began with the Bali and Bangkok declarations and has continued via various high level international declarations including Rio+20, the Arctic Council and by G20 leaders.
We have recently posted an EU discussion paper explaining how we believe that HFCs could be addressed by the Montreal Protocolin order to overcome the remaining obstaclesin reaching an agreement. In preparing this paper we believe that we have taken into account the difficulties and concernsexpressed by a number of Article 5 Parties.We remain convinced that the Montreal Protocol has the institutions and capacityto overcome the challenge of dealing with HFCs. Such action can occur while maintaining HFCs within the scope of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol for the accounting and reporting of emissions. This will enable us to achieve the transition to climate friendly, long term alternatives that our world needs.
The EU hasintroduced legislationto address the significant growth of HFCs. The legislation introduces a phase-down of nearly 80% in the use of HFCs between now and 2030.This is a strong driver forclimate friendly, cost and energy efficient, alternative technologies. We are pleased to see manufacturersthroughout the worldare marketing technologies without the use of HFCs. This clearly demonstrates that alternatives are available for many uses. Challenges however remain:therefore having sufficient time for technological progress is important.
When we started the CFC phase-out we were also faced with a lack of alternatives. This is why today, even without all alternatives to HFCs available, we should not avoid taking ambitious action. Implementing a gradual transition and making reductions in the sectors where this is most feasible can achieve the emission reductions we need and would be cost effective. We should also seek to maximise the climate benefits of the on-going transition from ODS in developing countries, to avoid emissions and future costs. It is now for the Parties to give the right incentives to accelerate this process.
Mr President,
We trust that we will reach an agreement on the 2015-2017 replenishment of the Multilateral Fund during this Meeting of the Parties. We would like to reassure Article 5 countries that we are confident that a stable and sufficient level of funding will be available for the upcoming phase-out ofODS commitments. We take this opportunity to congratulate all countries for their phase-out efforts made to date as well as the Bilateral, Implementing Agencies and the MLF secretariat for their valuable assistance. The EU Member States are open to considering all options to ensure adequate funding for an amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phasedown HFCs, including through future replenishments of the Montreal Protocol's Multilateral Fund, while meeting existing commitments and exploiting synergies with current activities on ozone depleting substances.
Mr President,
The EU remains fully engaged in the Protocol. The EU believes that there is now a clear opportunity to build on the Protocol’ssuccessesinprotecting the ozone layer while, at the same time, protecting theclimate and environment and encouraging green growth.
Yet again, the Parties to the Montreal Protocol can show that by working together with determination, sustainable solutions can be found and significant results delivered.
Thank you for your attention.
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