11 May 2010: Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, met Efthimios Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at the Organization’s headquarters in London, UK, on 11 May 2010, to discuss issues of mutual concern.
On climate change, they reflected on: the current status of international negotiations leading up to the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP16) in Cancun, Mexico, at the end of 2010; and the work of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in developing a global regulatory framework for the limitation or reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping. The meeting confirmed both sides’ desire to continue and enhance the cooperation between the EU and IMO in responding effectively to the challenge of climate change in the international shipping sector. [IMO Press Release]