Report: EU-15 off-track from Kyoto target[fr][de] 

Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU-15 have decreased by only 1.7% between 1990 and 2003, and went up by 1.3% last year, according to the latest inventory report by the European Environment Agency. 

Published on 21 June, the report takes stock of progress made by the EU in reducing its overall emissions since 1990, the reference year under the Kyoto Protocol. 

Figures for the EU-15 in 2002-2003 point to an overall increase of 53 million tonnes broken down as follows:

• Energy: +24 million tonnes (+2.1%) - increase mainly due to a surge in demand for electricity which was mainly met by coal-fired power plants
• Households and services: +18 million tonnes (+2.8%) - one of the main reasons was the cold conditions that prevailed during the winter
• Industry: +17 million tonnes (+2.1%) - Iron & steel and air conditioning & refrigeration are mentioned as being responsible for the rise 
• Transport: +6 million tonnes (0.7%) - Germany is cited as an example with emissions reduction recorded for the fourth consecutive year.

Countries with the largest emission increases (2002-2003) from electricity and heat production are: 

• United Kingdom: +10 million tonnes
• Finland: +7 million tonnes
• Germany: +6 million tonnes (almost)

Taking the 25-country bloc together, emissions have fallen by 5.5% since 1990. But the figures tend to reflect the industrial restructuring that took place in EU-10 after the fall of the iron curtain in 1989.

European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said the figures were "disappointing and further reinforce the need for member states to fully implement all the emission-reduction actions agreed at EU level as well as their own national measures".

However, Dimas said he was still confident that the EU would meet its Kyoto targets once new EU measures taken since 2003 are taken into account in the statistics. These notably include the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for CO2, which entered into force on 1 January 2005.

Green NGO Friends of the Earth Europe said it found the new data shocking. "Europe will most likely not meet its obligation to limit dangerous climate change," said climate campaigner Jan Kowalzig. "The blame goes mostly to national economy and industry ministers, who constantly block any attempts to introduce mandatory targets for renewable energies, energy efficiency rules or fuel consumption standards for cars", Kowalzig added.