By Sarah Collins - 23rd January 2008
MEPs have berated EU commission chief José Manuel Barroso after the final versions of new proposals on energy and climate change were unavailable for parliament scrutiny.
Barroso arrived at a special plenary session of the European parliament on Wednesday afternoon with the news that the final drafting of the text was still being completed.
Guido Sacconi, chair of the parliament’s temporary committee on climate change told Barroso, “I have a bad habit of wanting to read proposals before I comment on them.”
Sacconi said it would not be easy work for the parliament to turn the plans into law, and proposed a ‘special working procedure’ that would allow MEPs to complete as much work as possible before the 2009 elections.
Italian UEN deputy Alessandro Foglietta said, “We don’t know the details of this package” but went on to warn parliament to look at the economic and social impact of the costs set out in the proposals.
Barroso said that he was “very happy with the result” of the climate change and energy package, and that it had “strong backing”.
The package is due to make into law targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing Europe’s share of renewable energy agreed by EU ministers last March.
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