MEPs blast 'pessimistic' EU climate package

The commission is defending itself in the face of mounting criticism from MEPs that its proposals on climate change lack ambition.

Finnish Green deputy Satu Hassi accused the commission on Wednesday of not living up to targets agreed by the EU in Bali in December.

“Basing the emissions cap under the emissions trading scheme on a 20 per cent reduction assumption displays pessimism on the outcome of international climate negotiations and sends the wrong signal to the rest of world.”

The commission has proposed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 per cent by the year 2020, with a possible 30 per cent target if an international agreement is reached.

But critics say that the 30 per cent target should have been set in stone as a minimum, seeing as the EU agreed in Bali to reduce emissions by between 25 and 40 per cent.

Commission president José Manuel Barroso, presenting the proposals at a press conference, defended the target, saying, “What we are proposing is a minimum target. Those countries who want to can [raise] it.”

He reiterated that the issue was to find the balance between ambitious targets and economic incentives.

“We want to impose stricter emissions targets for greenhouse gases, yes,” said Barroso. “But we want to keep industry in Europe.”

Roberto Musacchio, a GUE/NGL deputy and vice-chair of the temporary committee on climate change, warned that exemptions granted to certain industries could “squander EU credibility, which needs to be reinforced, particularly after the leading role it assumed at the Bali conference on the post-Kyoto agreement”.

Under the new plans, “energy-intensive industries” will be given free allowances under the emissions trading scheme, a move Claude Turmes of the Greens/EFA group calls a ‘contradiction’.

“If European energy-intensive industry gets allowances for free, how can you justify that Chinese importers will have to pay?”

He accused the commission of “cheating people” on this point, which may see non-EU countries having to pay ‘climate’ tariffs on European goods.

Environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said the free allowances would not disturb the emissions cap set out in the emissions trading scheme, and said the commission will assess the situation of energy-intensive industries by the end of 2011.

One of the most contentious issues in the package, especially in the light of last week’s leaked joint research centre report, is the 10 per cent target on biofuels.

ALDE deputy Chris Davies warned that without making sure the biofuels we use are sustainable, we risk doing more harm than good.

 “We might risk tropical forest destruction and force up world food prices just to take the pressure off our car manufacturers,” he said.

The energy package now passes to the parliament and council, who will approve it by co-decision.

“Let’s be absolutely clear,” said Barroso, “this is the commission’s proposal. All of the other aspects have to go through the co-decision process.”

Italian Socialist MEP Guido Sacconi said it’s imperative that parliament is allowed some sort of ‘special working procedure’ to help finalise as much of the package as possible before its term ends in 2009.

“Now it’s up to us to adopt this package and turn it into law. It won’t be easy.”

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