BRUSSELS (AFP) — EU leaders on Friday backed ambitious targets to cut energy use and fight climate change but stressed that the package must not involve "excessive costs" amid an economic downturn.
In a draft agreement the 27 European heads of state and government, ending a two-day summit here Friday, pledged to finalise the global warming action plan so that it can come into effect in early 2009.
However the strong ambitions could not hide preoccupations among many of the member states for their own particular national interests.
A last-minute change to the draft increased room for manoeuvre in the climate change goals, including a mention that the targets should be introduced so as to "avoid excessive costs for member states."
The plan aims to meet the European Union's over-arching goal to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide -- the main gas responsible for global warming -- by 20 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels.
They have committed to go to 30 percent if other countries would match them.
To achieve that figure, EU states are obliged to make renewable energies, such as solar and wind power the source of 20 percent of the total energy consumption across the bloc by 2020. The current level is just 6-7 percent.
The blueprint also includes a carbon trading system and a political commitment that biofuels, made from plants, should make up 10 percent of total vehicle fuel in Europe by 2020.
However on Thursday, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa cast doubt on that initiative, suggeting that the biofuels target could be amended amid fears it will further hit soaring food prices as fuel crops such as colza take land from traditional crops.
Another widespread concern among Europeans is the possibility of so-called carbon leakage, whereby heavy industry migrates out of Europe to cheaper, less-regulated countries -- taking the pollution and the jobs with them.
In their draft conclusions, the EU leaders acknowledged the risk that, faced with high environmental standards, industry would leave Europe for countries with easier rules.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown have voiced support for a system whereby levies can be slapped on imports from countries not respecting similar high climate change rules.
However several countries and outgoing Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi warned of "an unending spiral of retaliations," if such a system is introduced for products from China, India or elsewhere.
Several countries have concerns over their own heavy industry and special interests.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she wants guarantees for heavy industry, such as steel and cement, in 2009 rather than in 2011 as planned, but added Friday that so far she had received no concessions from her EU partners.
Other nations, including Ireland, echoed that wish.
European industry's concern at stiffer rules comes amid record-high oil prices, eurozone inflation at a record 3.3 percent and the euro, on Thursday, beating a previous best to climb to 1.5645 dollars.
The EU's Slovenian presidency said that the total energy scheme should come into effect in early 2009 after all member states have signed up to it.
The EU members want to clinch a deal among themselves on fighting climate change this year so that Europe will be in a strong position to set the standard at international climate warming talks in Copenhagen in November 2009.
The European leaders also approved a watered-down version of a French scheme for a Mediterranean Union aimed at strengthening cooperation with countries from Morocco to Turkey.
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