The EU is losing an opportunity to be leading the struggle against climate change
The EU: between National interest and economic lobbies
Tuesday 06 February 2007
In the past few weeks, the European Commission has been searching for effective measures in order to involve the car industry in the efforts to tackle climate change. Because of the poor results obtained by this industry to voluntarily reduce CO2 emissions to 140 grams per kilometer by 2008, Environment Commissioner Mr. Stavros Dimas has proposed to set up a binding and fixed amount of emissions to 120 grams per kilometer by 2012.
But the sensitive proposal has been delayed for weeks due to internal wrangles inside the Commission as well as indication by some Member States – especially Germany as the biggest car-making industry in the EU – that they would block the plan. Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen – born in Germany - was among the least favourable to a binding general emission reduction on cars. German Chancellor in charge of the EU Presidency Angela Merkel was even quoted saying: “We need ambitious, but different goals for reductions in the different markets for various automobiles”. Mr. Dimas has sharply criticized the German Presidency’s lack of interest in curbing climate change, saying Berlin is hampering international efforts to tackle the problem. Because of this wrangle, the European Commission is expected to lower its ambitions by proposing a reduction in CO2 emissions by cars to 130 grams per kilometer by 2012.
This regrettable incident inside the Commission is nothing unusual, but it highlights a certain reality in the EU. Firstly, the EU is governed by the biggest States. Mr. Dimas would probably not have much trouble enforcing such a measure if Latvia, Belgium or Slovenia was opposing it. Secondly, Mrs. Merkel seems more interested in satisfying her electorate than taking effective measures to tackle climate change, although it is one of her main objective during the German Presidency. Thirdly, the environmental objectives of the EU are easily bypassed by strong economic lobbies in Brussels.
Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso himself has declared that: “We cannot simply tailor our criteria to the wishes of individual Member States”. That would be inappropriate and unfair, Barroso said. We couldn’t agree more! However, it is doubtful that it will lead to any concrete measure towards Germany.
Sources: EUobserver, T&E