16th Meeting of the Environment Ministers of the Visegrád Group Countries organized by Minister Maciej Nowicki took place in Cracow, Poland, on July 9th and 10th. Cooperation and development – are the countries’ priorities according to the meeting. Finalizing the meeting, the ministers signed the Joint Statement strengthening their cooperation. Ministers underlined that there is a need to conclude a new global agreement on climate change.

Polish Minister Maciej Nowicki played host to the ministers responsible for environment in the Czech Republic - Karel Blaha, Hungary - István Kling and the Slovak Republic - Miloslav Šebek - representating the Visegrad Group Countries. The two days meeting was finalized with signing the Joint Statement concerning the definite resolutions to lead the future cooperation.

- I’m very satisfied with the meeting results – said Minister Nowicki at the end of the meeting. – In Cracow, we have discussed many actual problems. I would like to underline very positive countries attitude towards cooperation as far as the environment protection and the challenges posted by the development are concerned – minister added.

During the meeting of the Visegrad Group, for the first time countries agreed on the importance of the actions in response to climate change challenge.

Ministers representing the Visegrad Group intend to respond to this challenge taking into account both global need to tackle the negative aspects of climate change, as well as the sustainable development of developing and developed countries.

Ministers underlined the need to undertake the significant mitigation actions, recognizing the scientific view of need to limit the increase of the global average temperature below the 2 degrees C compared to the pre-industrial level. Ministers underlined the need of comparability of these efforts by all the developed countries.

Following that Ministers are aware of the importance of the work between now and COP 15 meeting in Copenhagen within the EU and at the global level under the Convention to reach agreement on an ambitious midterm and long-term reduction targets.

Ministers also recognize the adaptation to the climate change as crucial issue for the sustainable development especially for the countries that are most affected by negative effects of climate change. They recognize the need to assist the poorest and most vulnerable countries to improve their adaptive capacities. Both mitigation and adaptation actions need to be implemented on the synergic way and supported by technology transfer and appropriate finance.

The Ministers also confirmed the need for further work on the EU position on the comprehensive agreement concerning the pursuit of climate policy after 2012 and the need to conclude a new global and comprehensive agreement in the course of COP 15 in Copenhagen in December this year.

Placing the climate change issue into the Visegrad Joint Statement text is the result of the actions undertaken by Minister Nowicki as a COP 14 President.

The ministerial document contains also the statements on the issue of illegal waste shipments, proposal for a new Directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment, issues related to Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (CAFE), and the status and significance of nature conservation, including Nature 2000 sites, in the discussion on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) after 2013.

The V4 meetings serve as a way to work out the definite solution to the most important problems in the field of environment protection as well as the occasion to exchange the information and experiences. They have become more important especially after  the V4 member states accession to the European Union; then, they play a basic role in creating the regional common views.

The Visegrád Group (Visegrád Four or V4) is an alliance of four Central European states – the  Republic of Czech, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia – for the purposes of cooperation and furthering their European integration.

Almost 64 million citizens live on the Visegrad Group’s territory.  

The Group originated in a summit meeting of the heads of state or government of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Poland held in the Hungarian castle town of Visegrád in 1991.

The country holding the Group's presidency changes each year, in June - the Cracow meeting ended the Polish  presidency.