EU should allow more carbon offsetting: lawmakers

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union should allow industry to offset a quarter of the greenhouse gas emissions cuts they are required to make under EU caps from 2013-2020, EU lawmakers say in draft proposals seen by Reuters on Thursday.

If enacted under an EU Parliament vote slated for the coming months and agreed by member states, the proposals by the EU parliament industry committee would allow far more offsetting than EU executive Commission proposals submitted in January.

The influential industry committee of lawmakers wants to allow business to offset a quarter of emissions cuts they must make compared to a 2008-2012 baseline, regardless of global agreement on a new treaty to replace or extend the Kyoto Protocol.

"This would enter into force in 2013 with or without an international agreement," said Lena Ek, a Swedish member of the European Parliament guiding emissions trading legislation for the committee.