EU seeks to narrow differences on climate plan

Brussels, March 5: European Union ministers sought to narrow differences over energy policy and carbon dioxide emissions today ahead of a summit due to adopt an ambitious plan to fight climate change.

But foreign ministers from the 27 EU states meeting in Brussels were unlikely to resolve the most contentious issue of whether to set binding targets for renewable sources of energy before their leaders meet on Thursday, they said.

''We will I think move closer to each other... but I am sure the issue of the binding nature of the 2020 (renewables) target must be negotiated at the summit,'' said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, arriving to chair the day-long talks.

The EU aspires to lead the world in the fight against global warming by adopting a unilateral commitment to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 per cent, rising to 30 percent if other major industrialised and emerging powers join in.

But the legally binding nature of those pledges remains open to question with many countries seeking wiggle room.

The latest version of the draft summit communique, obtained by Reuters, says: ''The EU makes a firm independent commitment to achieve at least a 20 per cent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels.'' The German EU presidency wants the summit on Thursday and Friday to set a binding target for renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro-electric power by 2020 -- not just a declaration of intent to reach 20 per cent.

''Everybody agrees we need to be ambitious,'' an EU diplomat said of the energy plan. ''The only real question is whether we should go any further -- should we be even more ambitious?'' COMPROMISE? France and some 10 other countries, including several in central Europe, are wary of binding targets that would impinge on their national energy strategies.

British officials have signalled that Prime Minister Tony Blair has dropped resistance to a binding target. Some EU diplomats said they expect French President Jacques Chirac to yield in exchange for a recognition that France's nuclear power programme helps cut carbon dioxide emissions.

A possible compromise, diplomats said, could be to make the 20 per cent target binding on the EU as a whole but not on individual states, with burden-sharing to be negotiated later.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said the EU should aim for something stronger than vague guidelines.

''If the requirements are drafted in such a way that they are in the form of guidelines that we should respect, that is good.

But I am personally in favour of clearer requirements,'' he said.

Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik said binding targets would be a sign the EU was serious.

''Europe has to become greener and credibly so. So benchmarking and setting ourselves goals and ambitions explicitly is a reasonable instrument,'' she told reporters.

The ministers were also due to discuss crises in Darfur, the West Asia and Iran's nuclear programme.

They are expected to urge the United Nations to consider tightening sanctions on Sudan over Darfur and pledge funds to help create a joint African Union-UN peace force.

On the West Asia, they are expected to reiterate a willingness to work with a new Palestinian national unity government provided it adopts an acceptable platform.

Reuters