Euro-MPs’ climate package vote brings little joy for industry

The European Parliament environment committee on Tuesday broadly approved ambitious proposals to tackle climate change, refusing to bow to industry pressure to water down the measures.

The global financial crisis and the closure of German auto factories did not prevent the parliament's environment committee from voting 44 to 20, in favour of a tough stance in talks with the 27 EU member states on how to achieve the agreed goal of cutting CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2020.

The vote, though just part of the legislative process, constitutes a setback for industry, as all the amendments put forward by conservative deputies to introduce exemptions to the emissions rules were rejected by a large majority.

The conservative EPP party was itself divided on the issue with seven of its MEPs, mostly British and Dutch, with the majority while 15 -- German, French and Polish -- were against the more hardline measures.

"The negotiations won't be easy. It's not won yet, but this is the basis on which we can negotiaite," one supportive national negotiator told AFP.

Irish MEP Avril Doyle, author of the report approved Tuesday, described global warming as the biggest challenge to the world today.

"We can't wait for the economies to rebound before acting... we have to do so without delay," to the long-term problem, she said.

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Source: EU Business