Poland blocks bolder EU climate emissions cut

(LUXEMBOURG) - Days before taking over the rotating EU presidency for the next six months, Poland on Tuesday opposed moves to increase the European Union's CO2 emissions targets.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk instructed his environment minister, Andrezj Kraszewski, to counter bolder emissions cuts under discussion at a meeting with his 26 counterparts in Luxembourg.

"Everything is frozen. This refusal means no new action for six months," said a diplomat who asked not to be identified after Poland demanded the 27-nation bloc stick to an existing target, approved in 2008, of a 20 percent cut to CO2 emissions by 2020.

Environment commissioner Connie Hedegaard said "this is disappointing" and the WWF's energy chief Jason Anderson condemned the Polish move as "showing a shocking disregard for climate protection and economic revitilisation".

Ministers attending the talks had been discussing proposals to cut CO2 emissions by 40 percent compared to 1990 before 2030, by 60 percent by 2040 and by 80 percent by 2050. That would have entailed a 25 percent cut by 2020.

In March, ministers of Britain, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Sweden had called for a 30 percent cut by 2020.