EU Welcomes Bali Results

The European Union welcomes the agreement reached at the Bali UN climate change conference to start formal negotiations on a new pact to fight global warming. A "roadmap" calls for two years of negotiations to allow time for governments to ratify and implement the future climate agreement by the end of 2012.

"We have agreed to start negotiations that will not only discuss commitments for developed countries, including the United States, but also actions by developing countries," said Stavros Dimas, European Commissioner for Environment. We have also agreed to work on a shared vision. Now the real hard work must begin. It is essential that the agreement to be worked out over the next two years is ambitious enough to prevent global warming from reaching dangerous levels."

European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid

The Presidents of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union this week signed a "European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid," which sets out a joint EU policy on humanitarian aid to help millions of people suffering worldwide as a result of conflicts and natural disasters.

"The EU is the world's biggest aid donor but we can do it better by working increasingly closer together. Common objectives, shared principles and better coordination can strengthen our capacity to help people in need," said European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.

Around half of all official international humanitarian aid is provided by the EU, either through the European Commission or bilaterally by Member States. So far this year, the European Commission alone has distributed more than 700 million euros in humanitarian relief aid.

EU Launches Mobile Carbon Tracking

Scientists working at the European Commission's Joint Research Center have developed a new mobile phone application that enables users to see how their daily choices impact climate change. Available in 21 languages, the mobGAS software is free to download to a mobile phone and permits people to input daily activities - cooking, transport, etc. - and then calculate the amount of greenhouse gases they produce. A user diary of daily, weekly, and yearly emissions can be registered on a secure website, allowing for a comparison with national and world averages.

EU Leaders Sign Historic Treaty to Reform Union

Marking an historic step in European integration, the 27 EU Member States signed the Treaty of Lisbon to enhance the EU's presence as a global actor, provide citizens with a charter of fundamental rights, bolster counterterrorism and crime-fighting powers, and create a more democratic, open, and effective Union.

"This new Treaty is good for European citizens," said European Commission Vice President Margot Wallström. "It will enhance efficiency and give the Union a single voice in external relations. People will have a greater say in European policies through the reinforced powers of their directly-elected representatives in the European Parliament and the enhanced role of National parliaments."

The Treaty of Lisbon amends the current treaties without replacing them. It will provide the Union with the legal framework and tools necessary to meet future challenges and to respond to citizens' demands.

EU Proposal for Cleaner, Fuel Efficient Cars

The European Commission proposed legislation to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars.

"The aim of the legislation is to reduce CO2 emissions from cars in order to help fight climate change," said EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas. "The legislation will also ensure important fuel savings, which will translate into considerable benefits for consumers. Moreover, it will encourage the car industry to invest in new technologies and actively promote eco-innovation, which is a driver for more and high-quality jobs."

The proposal will reduce the average CO2 emissions of new passenger cars to 120 grams per kilometer by 2012. That will translate into a 19 percent reduction of CO2 emissions and will place the EU among the world leaders of fuel efficient cars.

Focus on European Neighborhood Policy

The latest EU Focus, published by the Washington Delegation of the European Commission, explores how the European Union seeks to stimulate democracy and economic development beyond its borders through its European Neighborhood Policy (ENP). Sixteen neighboring countries to the east and the south of the EU's 27 Member States benefit from the ENP as they profit from access to the EU's internal market; closer cooperation on energy and transport links; and a chance to participate in the Union's programs. This partnership helps ENP countries strengthen their rule of law, democracy, respect for human rights and promote market-oriented economic reforms.

EU Welcomes New Jersey Death Penalty Ban and UN Moratorium

"I have learned with profound satisfaction about two important developments towards the abolition of the death penalty this week: first, the decision of the state of New Jersey to abolish the death penalty, and, second, the UN General Assembly Plenary's adoption of a Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty," said EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. "The New Jersey decision is a highly significant event in the recent history of the death penalty in the United States and a democratically-decided rejection of the death penalty. In the global context, I hope that the UN General Assembly Plenary's Resolution will strengthen the worldwide trend towards the death penalty abolition.”

The European Union campaigns across the world for abolition of the death penalty. The EU considers capital punishment to be a cruel and inhuman punishment, which fails to provide deterrence to criminal behavior. Any miscarriage of justice – which is inevitable in any legal system – would be irreversible.

EU NewsBrief is an electronic publication issued regularly by the Delegation of the European Commission to the United States. To receive updates on specific issue areas, click on this link.