Panel urges EU to scrap funds for 'dirty energy'

Jim Leape, director-general of WWF and a member of the group, told EurActiv: "There clearly are paths for meeting energy-security needs that are incompatible with saving the climate, no question. For some countries an obvious path for energy security is increased coal combustion and that's the worst possible thing for the climate." 

But he said that detailed issues such as Germany's support for coal were not specifically addressed by the group.

"There are many in this group who see that the future of energy security and action required to address climate change are largely converging," Leape added, citing energy efficiency and renewable energies as consensual in this context.

The report may, however, prove uncomfortable reading for the Commission, as it has so far not given the document any official publicity.

During recent months, it has struggled to agree on finding the right balance between environmental policy objectives and preserving the competitiveness of European industry.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and his enterprise and industry counterpart, Günter Verheugen  - both members of the high-level group - have frequently been at odds over the issue, the last time over binding legislation to reduce CO2 emissions from the car industry.