EU faces battle over €60bn plan to cut CO2

THE European Commission’s €60 billion action plan to tackle global warming puts the EU to the forefront in the fight against climate change — but it is just the first shot in what will be a battle with member states.

EC president Jose Manuel Barroso acknowledged this when he told the EU Parliament the national governments “cannot love the agenda and refuse to commit to the targets”.

Last year the heads of the 27 member states committed to a 20% cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 over the 1990 figures and that if there was an international agreement on cuts, this would be increased to 30%.