A huge disappointment is what the European Parliament delegation to the COP15 said about the agreement on climate change which was reached at last in Copenhagen. The outcome and the procedure show an urgent need to reform the UN working method.

"The agreement in Copenhagen is a huge disappointment and postpones climate protection to a later date“, said Jo Leinen (S&D, DE), who headed the European Parliament’s Delegation to the UN climate conference in Copenhagen and is the chair of the Environment Committee."The document lacks a long-term vision for 2050 nor have short-term targets for 2020 either been laid down in the final document. The present commitments of industrialized countries will by no means meet the CO2 reduction requirements stated by the scientific panel of the United Nations.”

MEPs deplored the fact that the 'Copenhagen Accord' is not a legally binding agreement, and only "recognises" the need to keep temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius. The developed countries should commit to a goal of mobilising 100 bn dollars by 2020 to help the developing countries cope with the impact of climate change. The agreement also includes a method for verifying industrialised nations' emission reductions

Jo Leinen said that the main responsibility for the weak agreement lay with China and the US.  "The US has failed to adapt their reduction targets to global needs. China has refused to sign a treaty with international obligations,” he said, adding that "the Copenhagen Conference demonstrated the highly unsatisfactory and inefficient method of UN conferences. A deep reform of the decision-making process in the framework of the United Nations is an urgent necessity."

European Parliament delegation

The European Parliament participated in the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen with an official delegation of 15 members, between 14 and 18 December. EP President Jerzy Buzek also attended the conference from 17 December. The conference started last December 7th, and reaching and international agreement on climate change and reduction of greenhouse gases emissions were one of the main objectives of the Swedish presidency.

MEPs were in Copenhagen to follow the negotiations and support efforts to reach a follow-up agreement for the Kyoto Protocol. Parliament co-legislates with Member State governments on EU environment policy,  and the Lisbon Treaty's entry into force, on 1 December 2009, has given it an even more prominent legislative role: its consent is now required for international treaties, which would include any new climate protection agreement.