RUSSIA: Russian ratification of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change is on the agenda at today's EU-Russia summit in Moscow, which is being attended by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, as president of the EU.
"There is just a chance that this meeting may result in the long-delayed announcement of the Russian decision to ratify the treaty", said Mr Pat Finnegan, co-ordinator of GRIAN, an Irish environmental group.
This week, GRIAN wrote to the Taoiseach, Russian President Vladimir Putin, European Commission president Mr Romano Prodi and EU Commissioner for the Environment, Ms Margot Wallstrom, "reminding all of them of their collective responsibility to ensure that this meeting produces a progressive result on the Kyoto Protocol".
With the US out of the Kyoto loop since March 2001, ratification by Russia is now essential to bring the treaty into force. But the Putin government indicated two years ago that it needed more time to consider it.
Echoing the main reason given by the Bush administration for pulling out, President Putin's economic advisers feared that implementing Kyoto could damage the revival of Russia's economy.
Russia has been seeking assurances that its large quota for greenhouse gas emissions under Kyoto would translate itself into tradeable credits when international trading in carbon dioxide emissions finally gets under way.
However, until the protocol actually enters into force, markets are hesitant about the future value of carbon, so prices are still low. An EU-wide carbon trading regime, based on the Kyoto rules, is due to start on January 1st next.
The EU is anxious that Russia will ratify, so that the protocol can become law internationally.