For half an hour this morning Jo Leinen answered the questions sent to him by Facebook and Twitter. You can read all questions and answers here, or check Jo Leinen's web.
Here are some excerpts:
European Parliament Mr Leinen, how high is the risk that the climate conference in Cancun fails like the one in Copenhagen last year? Which role could the European Parliament delegation play there?
Jo Leinen I hope for a better outcome with a whole set of concrete decisions.The Parliament will be the watchdog that the EU fullfills its promises.
Alex Lemarin Mr Leinen, I guess the European Parliament will only have an observer status in Cancun. Will it have any real weight in the negotiations? Because I have the feeling it's only about national governments in these UN conferences…
Jo Leinen The Parliaments are the citizens' chambers that have to control their executives. We are meeting with a lot of Parliaments around the world to pressure our governments for successful outcome of Cancun negotiations.
Marko Vuković Don't you think that going for 30 percent reduction in emissions could hurt European industry even as competitors with lower environmental standards gain market share?
Jo Leinen : We have potential in increasing the renewable energies and the efficiency standards in our buildings and our transport systems. These are sectors not directly related to global competition but boosting our EU economy.
Mark Meyerberg Herr Leinen, after the elections in the US the situation seems to be worse than ever. Is there any hope that there will be an international agreement even on paper before Kyoto expires??
Jo Leinen : We are very concerned about the situation in the US. Nevertheless the Obama administration wants to regulate climate gases and fulfill its promise of 17% Co2 reductions. On forest protection and technology transfer we can have solutions with the US.
Chiara Donadoni Dear Mr Leinen, Do you think the circumstances are much different now compared to Copenhagen, in order to avoid a similar disappointment?
Jo Leinen: The Mexicans promised an inclusive negotiations procedure to have all interest groups around the table. This is an hopeful starting point for decisions on concrete items. Everyone knows that the clock is ticking.
Giorgos Ch'Ioannidis Climate change is strongly related with economic issues. Is there any economic policy suggested that enhances the efficiency of negotiations that drive to future solutions?
Jo Leinen : A low carbon economy means a certain industrial revolution with a lot of possibilities for investment and jobs. This might be a way out of the current economic crisis in Europe.
Ana Maria Millan Good morning Mr Leinen. I would like to ask about the emissions from the water industry, associated with the need to treat wastewater to comply with the stringent environmental EU Directives. How can you balance the overall need to reduce carbon emissions against the need to meet environmental requirements? And also, who pays?
Jo Leinen : We have the polluter pays principle in the EU but need to look also at social justice. Cleaning up our rivers and our drinking water is a must even beyond the fight against climate change.
Max Mueller Climate change concerns all of us. Why is this topic not all over the media. The EU should also communicate more on this issue...This interview should ve been done when ppl actually have time to participate...
Jo Leinen : You are right, there should be more public debate and information about climate change. I participate in many meetings from school classes to any other event.
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