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EU 'agrees binding energy levels' | |
(10 minutes later) | |
EU leaders have agreed in principle to make targets for renewable energy binding, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has announced. | EU leaders have agreed in principle to make targets for renewable energy binding, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has announced. |
But Mr Reinfeldt said that first there would be "a discussion on what that means for each member state". | But Mr Reinfeldt said that first there would be "a discussion on what that means for each member state". |
He was speaking as the leaders of the 25-member bloc met to debate the issue at a summit in Brussels. | He was speaking as the leaders of the 25-member bloc met to debate the issue at a summit in Brussels. |
A European Commission proposal has called for 20% of EU energy consumption to be met by renewable sources by 2020. | |
The EU leaders are also expected to commit to cutting carbon emissions by 20% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. | |
'Credibility at stake' | |
"We have agreed that we need a target for renewable energy supply and that it will be binding," Mr Reinfeldt told reporters after a first working session at the summit. | |
He said that Germany - which is currently holding the rotating presidency in the EU - would put out a text with the word "binding" in it, the minister added. | |
The issue had been the main point of contention ahead of the two-day summit. | |
Several member-states had voicing strong objections to the European Commission proposal. | |
France, which depends heavily on nuclear power, has been opposed, saying that too should be considered a clean source of energy. | |
Ahead of the summit, EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that the EU's credibility hung on its matching words with action to fight climate change. |