This week takes place in Barcelona the last round of negotiations before the Copenhagen summit, where an international agreement for the post-Kyoto age will be at stake. The EU defends an ambitious proposal of reduction of greenhouse effect gases emissions and compensation for developing countries.

The negotiations in Barcelona are the last chance to reduce the gap between positions before the Copenhagen conference on 7-18 December 2009, where the international community must agree on the path forward in the fight against climate change after the period of validity of the Kyoto Protocol. The EU has wanted to put itself in front of the international fight against climate change and to lead positions in the most ambitious emissions reduction.

The EU has committed unconditionally to cut its emissions to at least 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 and is implementing this goal through the climate and energy package. It has also committed to scale up its emission cut to 30% provided other industrialised countries agree to make comparable reductions and economically more advanced developing countries contribute adequately to a global deal.

On 10 September the Commission proposed a global blueprint for increasing international finance to help developing countries mitigate their emissions and adapt to climate change. With the basis of this proposal, the European Council took an EU position on climate change financing in its meeting at the end of October.

This meeting in Barcelona is the last preparatory session, after the one that was held between September 28 and October 9 in Bangkok.