European Commission
MEMO
Brussels, 15 June 2012
EU Commission at the Rio+20 conference – Media advisory
At the Rio+20 Conference, the EU is playing an active and constructive role in the negotiations and will organise side events in Rio to encourage debate.
The President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, will deliver a speech at the plenary meeting on Wednesday 20 June. He will also take floor at two side events on Thursday 21 June: the EU Economic and Social Committee meeting on Civil Society participation in Sustainable Development and the Opening of the High Level UN panels on Sustainable Energy for All.
Janez Potočnik is the EU lead negotiator for the Conference. He will be in Rio from 15-23 June. Besides leading the negotiations from the EU's side, he will have bilateral meetings and attend a large number of side events on a wide range of topics with stakeholders, youth, business, academia and global leaders.
EU Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs will be in Rio from 20th to 22nd of June, as a Member of the High Level Group of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. He will attend side events open to the press focusing on some of the key issues at stake: energy, agriculture and sustainable development.
EU Commissioner Hedegaard will be in Rio from 19-21 June, and amongst others meet with small island states (AOSIS) and least developed countries (LDCs) to discuss how to move forward in the climate talks.
EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş, will be in Rio from 20-23 of June. He will participate in side events focusing on sustainable agriculture and agro-biodiversity and will have bilateral meetings with African, Asian agriculture ministers and with international NGOs on food security and the development of local farming. (Commissioner Cioloş also goes to Rio at the invitation of the Brazilian Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Mendes Ribeiro for bilateral talks and for the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding to create an EU-Brazil Dialogue on Agriculture & Rural Development.)
Side events open to media:
Saturday 16 June
16.00-17.30: Launch of Green Industry Platform, organised by UNIDO with UNEP and UNGC
Participants include Commissioner Potočnik
Location: Windsor Barra Hotel
Sunday 17 June
14.00-15.45: "The Economics of of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (TEEB) from analysis to action" - Event chaired by Pavan Sukhdev and Brazilian Minister for Environment Izabella Texeira
Participants include Commissioner Potočnik
Location: UNEP Pavillion
Tuesday 19 June
09.45-13.00: 6th Meeting of the EU-Brazil civil society Round Table: "What is at stake at Rio+20? Recommendations from Brazilian and EU civil society
EECS President to hand over Joint Report to Commissioner Potočnik before the meeting begins
Location: National Confederation of Trade in Goods, Services and Tourism, Av.General Justo 307, Centro 20021-130 Rio de Janeiro
13.30-15.00: EU & UK side event on Sustainable Development Goals - From "silo thinking" towards an integrated approach.
Participants include Commissioner Potčnik and the UK State Secretary for the Environment, Caroline Spelman
Location: Rio Centro T6
15.20-17.00: Africa Day "Accelerating Progress towards Sustainable Development in Africa"
Participation of Commissioner Potočnik at ministerial segment of the roundtable discussion
Location: Rio Centro T4
19.30-21.00: Speaking Truth to Power: The Future We Want to Achieve by RIO +20
Participants include young bloggers and the winner of the Future We Want Competition, Brittany Trilford
Location: Rio Centro T4
Wednesday 20th June
13.00-14.30 "Natural Capital Accounting: Better Decisions for Sustainable Development", side event organized by the World Bank and Brazilian Government
Participants include Commissioner Potočnik, and amongst others, President of the Republic of Botswana, Prime Ministers of the UK, Denmark and Norway, Mr Mahmoud Mohieldin, Managing Director of the World Bank and Ms Rachel Kyte, Vice President of Sustainable Development, World Bank.
Location: Rio Centro T4
16.30-18.30: Second Plenary Meeting: Part Two
President José-Manuel Barroso will be speaking at around 17h30
Location: RIOCENTRO, Plenary Hall
17.15-18.45: EU side-event on the low-carbon economy
Participants include Commissioner Connie Hedegaard
Location: Rio Pavilion
19.00-20.30: "Goals for Healthy Soils and the Role of the Global Soil Partnership" – Side event organised by the European Commission (DG Environment), FAO and UNCCD
Location: Rio Centro, Pavilion 3, Room B
20.00-22.30: SUSTAINIA event.
Speakers include Commissioner Connie Hedegaard, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Rajendra K. Pachauri.
Location: Hotel Copacabana Palace
Thursday 21th June
11h15-12h30: EU Economic and Social Committee - Side Event on Civil Society participation in Sustainable Development
President José-Manuel Barroso will deliver a speech
Location: EU Pavilion Athlete's Park
11h30-12h30: The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources as a Pillar of the Green Economy
Speakers include Dacian Cioloş, EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development, José Graziano da Silva, Director General of FAO, Minister of Environment of Norway, L.P. Brekk.
Location: Rio Centro, Pavilion 3, Room P3-F
11h30-13h: Sustainable energy: how can innovative financing contribute?
Speakers include Development Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka and Minister for Development Cooperation, Denmark, Christian Friis Bach
Location: EU Pavilion (Athlete Park)
13h30-15h: Agriculture: the way towards sustainability and inclusiveness
Speakers include Dacian Cioloş, EU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development, Andris Piebalgs, EU Commissioner for Development, and Minister Pepe Vargas, Brazilian Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA)
Location: EU Pavilion (Athlete Park)
15.00-16.30: UN Global Sustainability Panel event
Participants include Jacob Zuma, Tarja Hallonen, Ban Ki-Moon, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Commissioner Connie Hedegaard and others.
Location: Rio Centro
15.00-18.00: High level panels for Sustainable Energy for All initiative
Participants include José-Manuel Barroso, Andris Piebalgs, Nick Clegg, Kandeh Yumkella, and others
Location: Rio Centro
If you are planning to attend the Rio+20 Conference, you are welcome to join us at these events. Should you be interested in participating as a media representative, please fill in the attached registration form.
http://event.iservice-europa.eu/rio20-europeaid
A media contact point will be organised at the EU Pavilion.
For more information:
Please contact:
For the President of the European Commission
Leonor Ribeiro Leonor.ribeiro-da-silva@ec.europa.eu +32 498 98 16 69
For EU Commissioner for Enviroment, Janez Potočnik
Monica Westeren monica.westeren@ec.europa.eu +32 498 98 28 92
For European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs
Catherine Ray catherine.ray@ec.europa.eu +32 498 96 99 21
For European Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard
Isaac Valero-Ladron isaac.valero-ladron@ec.europa.eu +32 498 96 49 71
For European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dacian Cioloş
Dorian Filote dorian.filote@ec.europa.eu +32 498 95 75 14
