The climate and energy package, initially announced for 5 December 2007, is to include controversial "burden-sharing" targets, specifying how much each of the 27 member states should contribute to the EU's new binding objectives of sourcing 20% of its energy needs from renewables and slashing greenhouse gases by one fifth by 2020.
The initial idea was to showcase Europe's leadership in the fight against climate change with the timely unveiling of the package at an international summit in Bali on 3-14 December, where world leaders are to discuss plans for the post-2012 phase of the Kyoto Protocol on cutting global greenhouse gas emissions.
Although Commission spokesperson Johannes Laitenberger said the postponement was due to the sheer size and complexity of the package, there is speculation that the real aim of the delay is to avoid a situation where bickering among member states over individual targets could compromise a common EU front when it attempts to convince other major greenhouse gas emitters, including the US and China, to sign up to binding reduction targets for the next decade themselves.
"I can confirm that the package of energy and climate change proposals, initially planned for December, will be presented in January, notably in order to take into account the results of the Bali conference and because [...] the Commission wishes to carry out far-reaching consultations with the member states before this presentation," Laitenberger told EurActiv, adding that no date had yet been decided.
The delay could have ramifications in other sectors, as the package was also expected to incorporate plans to introduce legally-binding caps on CO2 emissions from cars (see LinksDossier on Cars & CO2) and boost the consumption of biofuels in transport from their current level of less than 2% to 10% by 2020 (see our Biofuels LinksDossier).
