Low-key environment council on the cards

Next Monday's council of European environment ministers - the last organised by the Italian presidency - is shaping up to be the most subdued such event for a long time, with not a single legislative decision in prospect. Usually, presidencies aim to bow out with a clutch of agreements on new laws.

The most business-relevant agenda item is a discussion on plans to allow greenhouse gas reduction credits generated through the Kyoto protocol's joint implementation and clean development mechanisms to be fed into the future EU emissions trading scheme. This will be a first debate and no political agreement is anticipated.