EU's pollution rules a choker for UK
By Tom Nicholls
Updated: 19:00 EST, 10 May 2004
THE Government has launched an independent investigation into anti-pollution programmes amid concerns British businesses will be hurt by lax standards elsewhere in Europe.
Environmental consultant Ecofys has been called in by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to pick apart EUuropean Union members' plans for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial plants.
The Government wants to use its findings to make Brussels take tougher action against those not doing their fair share. Transgressors are thought to include Germany, Italy, Austria and Denmark.
Although Britain last week lowered industry targets for reducing CO2 emissions, its climate change strategy remains easily the most ambitious. Critics fear the rising costs arising from tougher standards will undermine the competitiveness of UK industry while delivering little real benefit to the environment.
The Government's decision to bring in independent experts, coupled with strong language from ministers, reflects its determination to prevent EU partners being too soft on their industries.
Describing some other National Allocation Plans (NAPs) as unrealistic, Environment Minister Elliot Morley said the Government will scrutinise other targets carefully.
'We now look to the EU to be firm on other countries,' he said. He is 'confident' below-par plans will be rejected by the European Commission.
An Ecofys source said there were six countries it would be scrutinising for Defra's use in its negotiations with the EU.
However, industry sources say there may not be enough time for countries to rework NAPs by the January launch of the European Emissions Trading Scheme.
'January is an extremely challenging deadline' said one. 'The Commission seems wedded to its deadline and is more likely to tweak NAPs than reject them.'
Having criticised the UK's draft NAP, published in January for imposing onerous CO2 targets on UK firms, some parts of industry welcomed last week's revisions which set less-onerous targets for the first phase of the scheme from 2005 to 2007.
The scheme's overall requirement for reducing emissions from 1990 levels by 2010 was reduced from 16.3% to 15.2%.
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