The EU’s environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, has called for the Commission’s climate change proposals to be fast-tracked by the Community’s two other law-making bodies, the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. Speaking on the third anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol coming into force, he said: “The period during which the EU and other industrialised countries must meet our Kyoto emission targets – the 2008-2012 commitment period – started on 1 January this year.”

“The most recent emission projections show we are on the right track, but the early adoption and implementation of proposals put forward by the Commission would help to ensure success,” he continued.

The European Council also committed the EU to reducing its emissions by at least 20% by 2020, regardless of action by other countries, in order to transform Europe into a highly energy-efficient, low-carbon economy. Last month’s climate action and renewable energy package of proposals is one of the main means to implement the EU’s climate and energy targets for 2020.

u Commission climate change pages: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/home_en.htm