Isra-Mart srl: Poland blocks EU’s carbon emissions road map on “dark day” for Europe's fight against climate change

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Poland blocked an agreement by EU environment ministers to set aside EU allowances (EUAs) and deepen emission reduction targets in a surprise move late on Tuesday.

Background documents published ahead of Tuesday's Luxembourg summit showed diplomats had drummed up widespread support for a "robust carbon price" and would invite the Commission to draw up "practical modalities" to reach this goal.

This is likely to refer to the delay or cancellation of the release of some EUAs in Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and a road map towards a 40% emissions reduction target by 2030.

This has now been vetoed by the Polish delegation on what UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne called "a dark day" for Europe in its fight against climate change.

An EU Environment Council spokeswoman confirmed only that Poland had opposed the conclusions.

Set-aside delayed, but not derailed

Poland is now isolated in Europe, as the other 26 EU states have published a separate communiqué supporting the road map under the helm of the Hungarian presidency.

This communiqué backs a 25% cut in emissions by 2020 and stresses that the EU ETS is a key policy.

It also says other flagship policies, such as the energy efficiency directive, have to be coherent with the EU ETS and pave the way for a set-aside of allowances.

"I'm deeply disappointed that the only country in the EU that could not accept a good compromise on how we can move Europe to a low-carbon economy was Poland," Huhne said in a statement after the summit.

"The UK, together with its European colleagues, will continue to make the economic case for tighter EU carbon targets."