Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the ongoing negotiations at the European Council with regard to finalising a shared and commonly held position on climate change. [38391/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Last month's European Council reaffirmed the climate change and energy commitments made at the 2007 Spring European Council, including the objective of concluding negotiations on the package of legislative measures designed to give effect to these commitments by the end of 2008. These 2007 commitments are for the EU to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020, and to consume 20% of total energy from renewable sources and 10% of transport fuel from biofuels by 2020.

The Taoiseach at the European Council made clear Ireland's continued support for these objectives. At the same time, he outlined Ireland's national concerns and our demand that emissions targets need to be achieved by the most cost-effective means. I had also set out our position at the October meeting of the General Affairs Council.

While the Presidency faces a difficult task if it is to conclude these negotiations in December, all Member States accept the importance of such agreement, in particular because of the impetus that this would provide to the negotiations in this area under the UN umbrella, which are scheduled to conclude in Copenhagen in December 2009.