CO2 emissions from transport up in EU

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Carbon dioxide emissions from transport have continued to grow in the European Union, despite a slight reduction from overall sources, EU data for 2006 released on Wednesday showed.

European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas also warned of an increase in CO2 emissions last year among the 12 newer EU states, mostly in eastern Europe.

"The emission increases in the majority of EU-12 countries are not helpful," he said.

Emissions in eastern Europe fell dramatically during the 1990s when their economies suffered after the collapse of communism, and they are pushing for these emissions reductions to be recognized by the EU.

"The EU-12 countries have to bear in mind that they cannot rely on the successes of the past," Dimas said.

Emissions from road transport rose 0.7 percent in 2006 while overall emissions within the bloc fell 0.3 percent, the European Environment Agency said as it released its most recent detailed emissions data.

Emissions of greenhouse gases from international aviation and shipping continued to rise sharply in 2006.

"Transport-related emissions have been constantly increasing and are of particular concern," Dimas said.

Emissions from energy industries have stabilized in the last few years while those from manufacturing industries declined slightly.

The 15 EU countries that signed the Kyoto Protocol cut CO2 emissions by 0.8 percent in 2006, taking their total reduction below the base year of 1990 to 2.7 percent.

"This puts the EU-15 well on track to meeting its Kyoto Protocol target of keeping average emissions between 2008 and 2012 at least 8 percent below base year levels," the EEA said.

The overall decrease in EU emissions stemmed mainly from lower consumption of gas and oil in households and services due to higher gas prices and warm weather, particularly in Belgium, France, Italy, Spain and Britain.

"This data is alarming," said Sonja Meister, climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe.

"The old member states are still not on track to meet their Kyoto targets. The small emission cuts achieved are not the result of real political action but mainly due to warmer weather conditions."

(Reporting by Pete Harrison; Editing by Dale Hudson)