Addressing Laurent Fabius, the French Foreign Minister who chaired the COP 21 conference which took place in Paris late last year, Mineur declared: “I would like to thank you for the result from the conference in Paris in December.”
 
“We've done the difficult, now we must do the impossible. There is a lot to be done. Europe must be more ambitious; it really has to get away from fossil fuels and move towards alternative sustainable energy sources.
 
“But let's be honest – we won't gain very much from the Dutch Presidency [of the European Parliament]. Last week I spoke to Sharon Dijksma, the State Secretary for Infrastructure and the Environment in the Netherlands, and asked her how she was going to implement the agreement reached in Paris, but she refused to answer. This morning we heard from the Prime Minister, Mr Mark Rutte, who said they plan to develop the internal market.
 
“New technologies will help us in achieving our goals, but technology in itself is not enough. Europe must show leadership; we must make a radical effort to achieve sustainable energy.
 
“Your chairmanship of the COP will continue until the end of the year in Marrakech. I would like to make this appeal to you: help us achieve the impossible. '2015 was a year for negotiating and deciding', you said in Le Monde on January 11. 2016 has to be the year of implementation and action. Your 'diplomacy is still up and running', you said. Please take both Europe and the Dutch Presidency in your stride in creating an ambitious programme,” Mineur concluded.

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