ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL/CLIMATE CHANGE : ADAPTATION A "NECESSARY COMPLEMENT" TO MITIGATION.

The EU target of limiting global warming to no more than 2[degrees]C compared with the pre-industrial era means that all countries need to adopt attenuation measures on an urgent basis, but it is equally urgent to adapt to climate change in advance, particularly for the most vulnerable regions and populations. The EU environment ministers state, in conclusions adopted on 24 June(1), that adaptation is a "necessary complement" to mitigation. They also express support for the two-phase approach proposed by the European Commission in its white paper Adapting to climate change: Towards a European framework for action', namely an initial preparatory phase mapping out a comprehensive EU adaptation strategy up to 2012, to be applied from 2013.

The Council stresses the necessity of adopting a cross-sectoral approach in order to build synergy and implement action covering all levels and involving all stakeholders. This will require an effort to build awareness. The 27 also point out that the impact of climate change varies by sector and region and that adaptation measures should factor in local situations and be adopted at national, regional and local level. The Council also endorses the Commission's proposal of an integrated approach at EU ...