On 7-8 May, Connie Hedegaard and Danish Climate and Energy Minister Martin Lidegaard host an informal ministerial roundtable on climate change for more than 30 countries in Brussels. This event aims to build on the important breakthrough achieved at last December's UN climate conference in Durban, South Africa, and to explore further cooperation with a view to achieving ambitious follow-up to Durban.

Developing countries including least developed countries (LDCs) and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) will be strongly represented. A number of countries in central Asia and Latin America will also participate, as will some EU member states and other developed countries including Australia and Norway. Qatar, which will host this year's UN climate conference in November, and the head of the UN climate change secretariat, Christiana Figueres, will also attend.

In addition to the talks on climate change, the ministers and high-level officials will meet with Environment Commissioner Janez Potočnik and Development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to identify potential common priorities and goals for next month's 'Rio+20' summit on sustainable development, and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will deliver closing remarks.

On the occasion of this Informal Roundtable Connie Hedegaard said:

“At the international climate conference in Durban last year, a lot of progressive countries – among them many developing countries and the European Union – joined forces and created pressure that led to results only few would have anticipated before the conference started.

In order to continue this very fruitful cooperation, I have invited to Brussels today and tomorrow a group of 30 ambitious countries, represented by their ministers, to discuss how we can keep up this momentum and continue to achieve results together in the international climate talks as well as in the upcoming Rio+20 conference.

It’s really a pleasure to welcome all these ambitious countries to an Informal Roundtable here in Brussels.”

A VIP corner with Commissioner Hedegaard will take place on Monday 7th May at 17h20, and broadcast via the European Commission’s EBS services.

Read more:

• European Broadcast Service (videos available for download in high resolution)