EU "on track" to comply with Kyoto targets

The EU is "well on its way" to achieving its Kyoto target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a report by the European commission indicated on Thursday. New projections show that EU-15 countries can meet and even exceed their commitment to reduce output to 8% below 1990 levels by 2008-12.

According to the projections, the EU-15 are headed towards emissions 6.8% below 1990 levels by 2010, taking into account both existing policies and those "already in an advanced state of planning". Counting commitments by nine EU-15 states to purchase foreign emission credits through the Kyoto flexible mechanisms the projected figure reaches -9.3%.