In the opinion, the Committee underlines the importance of responding to a global challenge like climate change by global/multilateral means, and thus the specific importance of concluding a new international climate agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009. In that context, it welcomes specifically the lead that the EU and the EFTA States are taking in the global climate negotiations. It also underlines that there should be no contradition between free trade and climate change, and that trade regulation and rules should not serve as substitutes for environmental regulations. An international environmental agreement needs to be struck in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and not in the multilateral trade framework. At the same time, the Committee underlines the importance of trade, energy and climate policies being coherent and mutually supportive, and of trade policy playing a positive role in advancing environmental goals. In this context, further tariff reduction and tariff elimination on environmental goods on the proposed list within the ongoing WTO negotiations should be encouraged, and the Committee also recommends that the EFTA Ministers use this list in their free trade negotiations with third countries.

With regard to the current debate on carbon leakage, especially in respect to the revision of the EU Emission Trading Scheme, the Committee expresses concern about the possible impact of recent proposals to apply unilateral trade measures on imports of goods to Europe from countries with lower environmental standards to fight carbon leakage and maintain European competitiveness. The question arises whether such measures would be compatible with WTO rules and the Rio Declaration, and whether they could lead to trade conflicts around the world. The Committee underlines the need for more studies to better address the possible impact of such measures. Instead of unilateral trade measures, the Committee supports the use of internal climate policy measures such as the allocation of free allowances to certain energy intensive sectors under the revised EU ETS, based on strict benchmarking principles including consideration of the impact on European workers.

In addition to trade and climate, the Committee, in its meeting with the EFTA Ministerial Chair, also discussed the international financial crisis, the ongoing negotiations for a future EEA financial mechanism, the single market review, EEA EFTA participation in EU executive agencies, and EFTA's third country relations. In its internal meeting, the Committee also addressed the renewed EU Social Agenda and consumer policy.

The opinion on "Energy, climate and trade - time for cooperation" can be read here