European Parliament President Pöttering welcomes legislative proposals on Climate Change and Energy: "We must go further"

President Pöttering commented: "These legislative proposals have been eagerly awaited by the European Parliament, ever since EU leaders adopted an Action Plan to cut 20 % of our C02 emissions by 2020 at the Spring European Council in March last year.

"They cover a range of measures on emission cuts, renewable energy sources, carbon capture and a revision of the emission trading scheme. The European Parliament now has a chance to put its own stamp on the proposals.

"Parliament has always been ambitious in the fight against climate change. When I addressed the Spring Summit on the issue, I called for a 30% cut in emissions. In parallel, we need to do everything to reach an international agreement.

"The EU, along with the other industrialised countries, must take the lead by switching to a low carbon economy based on renewable sources of energy. The main result of the UN Climate Change Conference in Bali in December 2007 is a clear timetable. The deadline of December 2009 in Copenhagen for the conclusion of an international agreement is crucial. This is a message that I will be delivering in the coming weeks on my official visits in Japan, the United States and in the United Nations.

"Today's proposals and the EU's efforts on the international scene go hand-in-hand. We will not be credible in seeking to forge a post-Kyoto agreement unless we can make a success of our domestic reduction efforts. Policies and measures at all levels, local, national and European will help ensure that the EU achieves domestic reductions at least of 30% by 2020."

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