EU seeks line for post-Kyoto climate talks 

The target issue is set to dominate the agenda of environment ministers as they meet on 17 October to discuss the EU strategy for post-Kyoto talks due to take place in Montreal from 28 November to 2 December. 

The UK Presidency has proposed to re-establish targets agreed by Environment ministers in March to cut emissions of global warming gases by 60 to 80% by 2050. But those had subsequently been dropped a few days later by EU heads of state and government, notably at the insistence of Austria and Germany (EurActiv, 23 March 2005).

EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in September he did not expect any binding agreement to come out of the Montreal meeting. "I would like to have an agreement in Montreal but that's unrealistic," Dimas told reporters in September. The best he hoped for, he added, was an agreement to start negotiations.   

The ministerial talks come as EU countries prepare for the second round of national action plans (NAPs) which will define CO2 emission ceilings granted to industry under the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS). Commission sources have indicated that some EU countries, led by Poland, are pushing for a watered down version of ETS, which will undergo a full review in mid-2006.