EU climate change push in disarray as Italy joins Iron Curtain revolt - Times Online

Europe’s commitment to ambitious green goals became the latest victim of the global financial crisis yesterday when a growing number of EU countries rebelled, claiming that the plans were now too expensive.

Plans for binding European legislation by December were dropped as the EU watered down the carbon dioxide blueprint that it had announced with a fanfare 18 months ago.

The revolt by eight countries, led by Italy and Poland, left the EU’s self-proclaimed mission to shape a global, postKyoto agreement on greenhouse gases in disarray.
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In an extraordinary break with EU protocol, both leaders said that they did not have to stick to the deal because neither had been in office when it was signed by their predecessors in March 2007.
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Mr Sarkozy is desperate to fix each country’s share of the EU effort before January 1, when the European presidency is passed to the Czech Republic.

The Czechs have promised to use the presidency to scale back environmental demands. President Klaus has publicly questioned the existence of man-made climate change.