Poland close to blocking minority on CO2: officials
WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland has moved closer to assembling a blocking minority among the European Union members, enabling them to seek changes to Brussels' proposed climate package, Polish officials said.
Polish Environment Minister Maciej Nowicki said on Monday he had reached a common view with Greece last week that more debate was needed on the EU's package of climate measures.
Poland had earlier signed an accord to present a common stance on the issue with fellow ex-communist EU nations of Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
"We have reached a far-reaching convergence of views (with Greece) on a number of issues regarding the climate package," Nowicki told Reuters in a brief interview. "Among them on the gradual introduction of the full CO2 auctioning."
GREECE DENIAL
But later on Monday Athens denied any kind of agreement with Warsaw had been clinched.
"I state categorically that the meeting (between the Greek and the Polish Environment Ministers) which took place last week was a discussion over general environment issues," Deputy Environment Minister Stavros Kalogiannis said in a statement.
"We are absolutely committed to the EU proposed package on climate changes," he said.
The European Commission -- EU's executive arm -- aims, among others, to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by a fifth by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. An emergence of a blocking minority would now force it to seek a compromise on the plan.
Under the EU's voting rules, some decisions may be blocked by a certain number of member states representing enough voting power. Those six countries would have enough votes to do so.
Nowicki said Poland did want to jeopardize the deal at the EU's environment meeting on October 20-21.
He said Poland recognized the need to reduce CO2 emissions by a fifth by 2020 but said the final details of how to achieve the target should be worked out later on.
"Poland fully accepts the necessity of reducing CO2 emissions by 2020 but not in the formula now presented by the European Commission," he said.
"This would lead to the worsening of the situation of the Polish industry and the living standard of the people."
The EC's proposal sets full auctioning of the CO2 emission permits as of 2013. France wants to conclude the EU's climate negotiations by the end its presidency of the 27-nation bloc in December. Continued...
