EU climate plan changed, but differences remain: draft
(BRUSSELS) - The EU presidency altered its climate change package Friday in a bid to seal a deal at a Brussels summit, but objections from Hungary over an emissions trading plan were not addressed.
The last draft for the ambitious climate change and energy package, which requires unanimous backing, was sent to EU leaders early Friday as they prepared for the second and last day of their summit.
Agreement on the energy-climate package would be "a major contribution to safeguard the future of the planet, strengthening the European leading role in the fight against climate change," said the draft proposals, seen by AFP.
However the statement, to be agreed by the European leaders during the day, made no changes to a "solidarity" mechanism, designed to help the poorer eastern European nations adapt to the package.
The scheme will attribute 12 percent of all the pollution allowances to be auctioned in the EU under the emissions trading scheme to such poorer countries as had been foreseen in the original plan.
Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany had been calling for up to 20 percent of allocations.
Two meetings late Thursday with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, failed to secure a change.
However the French EU presidency, keen to arrive at a deal before its tenure expires at the end of the month, did make some modifications elsewhere.
European industry not greatly threatened by international competition will not have to pay for all of their emissions allowances, under the emissions trading scheme, until 2025.
Earlier drafts had put this date at 2020.
The EU leaders, if they sign on to the latest proposals, would also agree to review the list of sectors deemed to be in the most vulnerable category, highly exposed to international competition, and therefore allowed wholly free allowances, in June 2010.
The review, a request from Italy, will be done after international climate change talks in Copenhagen in December 2009.
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