Economic troubles threaten to capsize EU's climate target

In the shadow of the European Union's unity on how to resolve the financial crisis emerges a conflict on how the EU will tackle the global warming problem. Several Eastern European countries are intent on releasing more carbon dioxide in order to cope with the costs of the economic downfall.

The financial crisis is top priority in the agenda of the forthcoming heads of states meeting in Brussels Thursday and Friday. A deciding step towards a common plan to tackle the financial crisis was agreed upon last Sunday when the heads of the Euro countries meet in Paris. This time, all 27 EU leaders will have to stand behind the common action.

However, even if the EU leaders are agreed on how the financial crisis will be resolved though savings and credit guarantee's, state interventions and auditing regulations the big question on climate goals remain undecided. The EU countries have agreed to reduce the carbon dioxide emission to an average of 20 percent by 2020. The question is, how big will be the reduction by each EU member state.

Several EU members are discussing how the financial crisis have affected their economies and are asking for a more lenient adherence to the EU proposed goal in order to increase their competitive advantage. For example, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania; Czech, Hungary, Slovakia and the three Baltic states - which had a separate meeting before the summit. They want to reduce their commitment to the climate package.

Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt says that " the climate issue cannot wait." He thinks that many try to lighten their burden by using the solidarity argument. " I believe that one should be cautious," he was quoted as saying. (Source: Dagens Nyheter, 16 October 2008)