EU agrees on climate change deal

The European Parliament approved yesterday a deal on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, the final step in a year of talks to secure the world's broadest agreement yet to battle climate change.

Parliament's approval follows a deal among European leaders last week to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 after watering down the costs for industry of fines and pollution permits.

The economic crisis had at times threatened to derail the EU's plans, but a myriad of concessions to industry helped pin down a deal amid criticism from environmental groups.

The deal takes on a greater importance coming just before Barack Obama assumes the US presidency, amid hopes in Europe of transatlantic cooperation to tackle climate change.

"Everybody knows what Mr Obama has set as priorities - energy security and climate change," European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in the debate preceding yesterday's vote.

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi had fought hard for industries like German steel, chemicals and cement and Italian glass, ceramics and paper, as well as their powerful auto sectors.

Lawmakers also agreed on measures yesterday to cut CO2 emissions from new cars by 18 percent by 2015, after intense lobbying by the car industry won it a three year delay to the curbs.

The biggest threat to a deal was the opposition of nine former Soviet-bloc nations, which feared the deal would ramp up costs for their highly polluting coal-fired power sectors.

To buy their support, funding will be distributed to them from around 12 percent of revenues from the EU's flagship emissions trading scheme, which makes industry buy permits to pollute.

Negotiations were fast tracked to get the deal finalized well ahead of next year's Copenhagen talks to find an international deal, causing anger in the parliament that it had not been properly consulted.

48-hour working week

The European Parliament also voted yesterday to cap the working week at 48 hours, triggering a clash with Britain and other EU member states and business.

EU states had already agreed among themselves to allow people to work over 48 hours a week if they want to. Last-ditch talks between parliament and governments will now begin, with the outcome uncertain.

Agencies

(China Daily 12/18/2008 page12)