14 November 2014: In advance of the December 2014 climate change negotiations in Lima, Peru, countries of the Eastern Partnership participated in a Panel on Environment and Climate Change under the theme ‘Economic Integration and Convergence with EU Policies.’ The two-day seminar focused on intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) and what to expect at the 20th and 21st sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP 20 and COP 21) to the UNFCCC.

The seminar was organized as a pre-COP negotiator workshop by the Clima East Policy Project, on behalf of the EU Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA). Held on 13-14 November 2014, in Berlin, Germany, it helped participants: examine the state-of-play of the negotiations, especially as pertains to INDCs; understand the science behind the 2°C target; consider country-specific preparations for INDCs; share ideas on international climate policy cooperation; consider the elements of a 2015 agreement; and review other decisions expected in Lima.

The Eastern Partnership was launched by the 2009 Prague Declaration and includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, the EU and its 28 member States. ‘Economic Integration and Convergence with EU Policies’ is a Thematic Programme established by the Partnership. The Government of Germany, which is a member of the International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV (measurement, reporting and verification), sponsored the workshop. [International Partnership Press Release]