EU pushes for climate-change laws by end of year 03/03/2008 00:00

The European Union's environment ministers on Monday pushed for EU-wide laws on fighting climate change to be approved by the end of the year, in order to influence talks on a global deal in December 2008 and in 2009.

3 March 2008 

BRUSSELS - The European Union's environment ministers on Monday pushed for EU-wide laws on fighting climate change to be approved by the end of the year, in order to influence talks on a global deal in December 2008 and in 2009.

"It's extremely important that there be a political deal" before "crucial" international talks on finding a successor to the Kyoto Protocol begin in the Polish town of Poznan on December 1-12, French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said at a meeting with EU counterparts.

France is to take over the EU's presidency in the second half of this year, and will be responsible for concluding an EU deal on the legal proposals ahead of the talks in Poznan.

Such a deal within the EU would "send a really important signal to the negotiations in Poznan," Britain's Environment Minister Hilary Benn stressed, but added that "we've got to do a lot between now and the end of the year."

Over the last three months the European Commission - the bloc's executive body - has proposed a series of laws aimed at reducing the EU's emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and boosting research into climate-friendly technologies and fuels.

EU leaders say that a swift adoption of the laws would give the bloc a powerful negotiating position in international talks on finding a successor to the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

But they have criticized the commission's proposals for the way in which they attempt to spread the burden of cutting emissions, making a rapid deal on the laws by no means assured.

The Czech Republic, which is set to take over the EU presidency in January 2009, "could take over (the negotiating process) if France fails," Czech minister Martin Bursik pointed out.

Talks on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol were launched after marathon debates in Bali in December, and are set to culminate in Copenhagen from November 30 to December 11, 2009.