Brussels Wants Germany To Fine-Tune Emissions Plan

The European Commission on Wednesday approved Germany's plans for curbing carbon dioxide emissions under certain conditions. Brussels, reportedly, said it would accept Germany's pollution-cutting blueprint only if Berlin undertook "a few technical changes" by the end of the year. The commission is said to have stumbled upon a clause that would allow belated changes to the German plan of carbon credits. Brussels fears it would hinder competitiveness. Germany managed to agree on a so-called national allocation plan at the end of March after months of wrangling between the finance and environment ministries. The plan foresees German power plants and factories cutting climate-changing greenhouse gases to 503 million tons by 2007 from the current level of 505 million tons. The European Commission also demanded improvements to emission-reduction plans submitted by Austria and Great Britain.