MEPs to make case for 30% co2 reduction target

 Thursday 20 January 2011

The European Parliament's environment committee will begin discussions on deeper EU carbon emission cuts on Monday. The rapporteur, Green MEP Bas Eickhout, has drawn up a working document emphasising the benefits of moving to a 30% cut.

The document uses research from a European Commission report from May http://www.endseurope.com/24003?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY on the prospect of going beyond 20% plus other studies. It questions some of the commission's conclusions, for example the calculation that a 30% target would lead to a yearly reduction in health costs of between E3.5bn to E16.7bn.

According to a study by environment and health group HEAL cited by Mr Eickhout, these estimates might be too low. The MEP's draft parliamentary report will be published after the industry and energy committee has issued its own opinion. The committee held a debate on the issue in Brussels last week.

Mr Eickhout, who supports a 30% target like many other MEPs, hopes to have a parliament vote on his draft report by June. The industry committee is scheduled to adopt its opinion on 25-26 May. The environment committee is the lead committee.

Environment ministers could not agree on a 30% reduction target when they met in October 2010 http://www.endseurope.com/24863?referrer=bulletin&DCMP=EMC-ENDS-EUROPE-DAILY, despite strong support from countries such as the UK, France, Germany and Denmark. It is still unclear when the ministers will discuss this next.

Follow-up: Mr Eikhout's working document

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/envi/dv/envi_20110124_eickhout_854246_/envi_20110124_eickhout_854246_en.pdf

plus summary of industry committee debate http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/11/st05/st05413.en11.pdf (p 4)

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