Dutch call for rethink on gas emission target

Date: 02/04/1998

By Simon Coss

THE country which brokered a provisional deal on how to share out the burden of cutting greenhouse gas emissions between EU member states appears to be backtracking on its own commitments.

The agreement cobbled together by the Netherlands last March set out what cuts individual countries would make in order to achieve the Union's stated aim of reducing emissions of three greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) - to 15% below 1990 levels by 2000.

The pact formed the basis of the Union's negotiating position at last December's climate change conference in Kyoto. But The Hague now argues that it should be allowed to reduce the level of cuts it pledged last spring in light of the agreement finally reached in Japan.

Under the Kyoto accord, the EU has promised to cut emissions of six greenhouse gases (the three already agreed plus hydroflourocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexaflouride) to 8% below 1990 levels by 2012.

"Nothing basically should be changed about the criteria, but now we have to come up with some provisional figures," explained one Dutch official. "We feel we are now more heavily charged in terms of the cuts we must make than other members of the EU."

The Netherlands argues that it has already made enormous efforts to stem its greenhouse emissions and that further reductions would be much harder for it to achieve than for 'dirtier' member states which are starting from scratch.

Officials claim countries which pledged to make some of the largest cuts, notably the UK, Germany and Denmark, will actually face a much easier task than The Hague.

"When you say 'a big cut', it's big in terms of the figures. In terms of the effort they have to make, I don't think it's bigger than us," said one official.

While London, like the Netherlands, promised reductions of 10% in the pre-Kyoto deal, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has publicly stated that he is prepared to double that figure.

Although the European Commission has refused to comment publicly on the Netherlands' apparent volte-face, officials close to Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard are understood to be less than impressed.

Experts point out that Dutch Environment Minister Margreeth de Boer heralded last year's deal as one of the triumphs of the Netherlands' EU presidency. "She should be the last person to say she has problems," said one.

In its defence, The Hague stresses that it was always recognised that final negotiations would have to take place after the Japan conference.

Insiders point out that The Netherlands is not the only country calling for a fundamental rethink of the burden-sharing issue.

"Germany, the UK and Denmark are also suggesting a re-examination," said one diplomat.