Taraba: Changes to EU Climate Law Should Be Approved by Premiers, Not Ministers

Brussels, 18 September (TASR-correspondent) - Changes to the EU's climate law proposed for 2040 should be addressed by heads of governments and states, not ministers, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee) told TASR at a meeting of the EU Environment Council in Brussels on Thursday. The Council of Ministers had on its agenda a discussion of a proposal to amend the European Climate Act, which sets a binding target of a 90-percent reduction in emissions by 2040 when compared to 1990 levels. The 2030 targets for emissions reductions are set at 50 percent and Slovakia is meeting them, unlike the EU average, said the environment minister. Taraba stressed that such a serious decision - changing the emission targets to ten years earlier than the agreed limit of zero emissions in 2050, should be taken at the level of the European Council, where prime ministers and presidents would have to express their unanimous opinion. "We're glad that there was no vote today. Slovakia joined the countries that clearly stated that this shouldn't be voted on with a qualified majority at the level of the Council of Ministers," he said. am/df