European Parliament Critical of Commission’s GHG Targets

Members of the European Parliament (EP) have criticized the European Commission's recently announced non-binding targets for CO2 emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency up to 2030.

Under its new framework plan for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions up to 2030, the Commission set a goal of cutting emissions by 40% against 1990 and a binding target for renewable energy of at least 27%. While renewing a promise to improve energy efficiency, it did not set a binding target.

The EP believe the moves are too timid, and moreover, they say the targets should be binding, taking account of each member state's situation and potential. The parliamentarians would like to see a 40% cut for CO2 emissions, a 30% target for renewable energy and a target of 40% for energy efficiency.

"If we want to reduce our energy imports we have to produce more in Europe, by making better and more efficient use of our resources, said the EP's co-rapporteur for the environment committee, Anne Delvaux of Belgium, a member of the parliament's centrist EPP faction.

Co-rapporteur for the industry committee, Konrad Szymanski of Poland, who is a member of the conservative ECR party, withdrew his name from the final report. Adopting these objectives before the 2015 Paris talks would be a mistake, he said, adding that, "binding objectives on renewables and energy efficiency is not a flexible arrangement. We know well that member states and individual sectors have different capacities."