"The Parliament has marginalised itself by lacking the courage to make even small changes to the compromises negotiated by the EU summit last Friday. Europe promised leadership on climate, but  so far it has led us up the garden path. The climate package doesn´t even take us half way to where we should be in the fight against climate change," said Joris den Blanken, Greenpeace EU climate & energy policy director.

Greenpeace believes EU leaders meeting in Brussels last week weakened the ambition of the original Commission proposals by giving in to pressure from industry lobbies and to accommodate the short-sighted interests of several member states. The climate parts of the agreed text are filled with exemptions which threaten the EU´s ability to even reach its inadequate 20% target.1 The legislation also ignores the polluter pays principle by handing out many free credits to high emitting industry. The most positive element of the package was the law to boost the share of renewable energy to 20% by 2020.

"The EU´s much-trumpeted 20% carbon reduction target just doesn´t go far enough. Science tells us we need at least 30%, and we need it here, in Europe. We cannot afford to continue with business as usual," said den Blanken.

According to Greenpeace, as the EU begins to develop its negotiating mandate going into the global climate conference in Copenhagen at the end of 2009, this climate package cannot serve as a basis for the EU´s position on the international stage. The EU position needs to be urgently improved.

MEPs have also adopted feeble legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions from cars. After aggressive lobbying from car manufacturers, the original reduction targets and fines for non-compliance were significantly watered down. The legislation will also not come into effect until 2015, three years later than in the original plan.

You can find the latest Greenpeace briefing on the EU climate package on: www.greenpeace.org/euunit/press-centre/reports/MEPs-must-exercise-democratic-power