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Environment Commissioner Backs Down

Europe Close to Emissions Agreement

European Union Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas has reportedly backed off from his hardline position on auto emissions. Technology will share the burden for reductions with European carmakers.

The debate over climate protection regulations being considered by the European Union has seemed to escalate almost daily in recent weeks. European Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas had wanted to force through a severe cut in automobile emissions against industry complaints that his proposal would cost tens of thousands of jobs and significantly increase car prices.

But on Wednesday, European Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas is set to present a compromise deal which will move some of the responsibility for auto emissions away from the industry and toward biofuels and other environmentally friendly technologies, according to a Reuters report.

Dimas had originally hoped to force carmakers to produce vehicles with average emissions of 120 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer by 2012. Under the compromise deal, the EU goal will remain 120 grams per kilometer, but part of that reduction will be achieved through an increase in the use of biofuels, driver training courses and other technological measures. Automakers will now be obliged to reduce emissions to an average of 130 grams per kilometer.

By way of comparison, the average Fiat emits some 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer, the average VW puts out 161 and the average Porsche -- whose workers' council head Uwe Hück was particularly virulent in his criticism of the EU proposal -- releases fully 297 grams per kilometer according to the Center for Automotive Research in the German city of Gelsenkirchen.

CLICK HERE FOR A COMPARISON OF MAJOR AUTOMAKERS

Commission members are expected to pass the compromise agreement at their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday.

"It's balancing the three things: climate change, innovation and a competitive industry," an EU source told Reuters.

Dimas's original proposal -- that of making carmakers responsible for the entire emissions reductions -- met with resistance in Germany with its large automotive industry. Over the weekend German Chancellor Angela Merkel had vowed to fight Dimas's proposal for a general reduction, prompting Dimas to doubt Germany's commitment to fighting global warming.

In an interview with Bild am Sonntag newspaper, Dimas questioned Germany's claim to setting a good example on the environmental front. "Only when Germany puts all the nice speeches into practice will (other European Union countries) no longer be able to hide," he said. "If Germany blocks, the rest of Europe doesn't play along. And if Europe doesn't play along, neither does the rest of the world."

The European Union compromise comes as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has promised to make climate change a priority for his term in office. On Monday he said that he would begin consulting with UN member countries in order to move towards a follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol. That agreement expires in 2012, and many countries have failed to hit the targets set for themselves. Many others, including heavy polluters like the US, China and India, either never ratified the treaty or were not obligated to significantly cut emissions.

Referring to the UN environmental report released last Friday, Ban said it "reaffirmed the urgency on the part of the international community to take necessary measures beyond 2012. I am fully committed to this process."

cgh/reuters/ap