EU Climate Plan

·         On March 14, 2008 after a two-day summit in Brussels,  EU leaders agreed to finish talks by the end of the year on an ambitious plan to fight climate change.

·         The leaders for the 27 nations have hoped new legislation would be enacted in early 2009.

·         The bloc aims to implement a 20% cut in greenhouse gases by 2020, compared with 1990 levels.

·         EU leaders said they needed to look at the consequences for heavy industry and that could complicate negotiations.

·         The summit also discussed financial instability, as well as liberalisation of the bloc's energy markets.

·         Jose Manuel Barroso is European Commission President

·         The Slovenian Prime Minister, Janez Jansa, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, has expressed that the EU leaders had taken "a huge step forward".

·         The EU leaders also agreed to consider cutting value-added tax (VAT) on environmentally-friendly domestic products.

KEY AIMS BY 2020

·         20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020

·         Reduction in energy imports, saving money and increasing energy security

·         World leadership in renewable energy technology

·         Some countries, like Germany and France, are worried about the international competitiveness of their businesses and the potential cost in jobs