EU heads of state and government leaders converged on Brussels yesterday evening for a spring summit set to be dominated by energy policy and climate change.

 

"Europe is at a vital crossroads. If we take rapid and immediate action, we have a chance of curbing the dangers of climate change. It is the responsibility of this European Council to confront climate and energy policies," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told her counterparts in a letter prior to the summit.

 

"We must decide on a strategy which will protect our climate while not harming our energy supply in a long-term and sustainable manner. Our response to this issue will have far-reaching consequences for Europe and the world."

 

Merkel will chair the two-day summit since Germany currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

 

The climate change debate will see leaders discuss reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and adding more renewable sources to the energy mix.

 

A widely expected endorsement is set to be one cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent by 2020 as compared to 1990 levels, a deal already finalized by EU environment ministers last month. The deal will stretch further with the EU agreeing to increase the reduction to 30 percent provided an international deal can be struck.

 

The 27-nation bloc will still face a great stumbling block, in determining the precise allocation of cuts among its member states, a process that could take some years.

 

The issue of renewable energy may pose a harder obstacle to overcome since member states are so far unable to find common ground in terms of mandatory targets.

 

The leaders will likely review an ambitious proposal put forward by the European Commission to include 20 percent of renewable sources in the bloc's energy mix by 2020, which currently only make up 6.5 percent of the EU's energy generation.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2007)