The European Union said emissions of greenhouse gases in the bloc's 15 original member nations fell in 2007 for the third consecutive year. The European Environment Agency says the drop is mainly the result of the lower use of oil, gas and other fossil fuels. The Copenhagen-based agency says warmer weather and higher fuel prices also led to a fall in emissions and that most of the decrease registered in households. The agency said Friday that the 15 countries - in the 27-member union - are now 5 percentage points below the Kyoto Protocol base year levels. There were only 15 members in 1997 when the EU joined the Kyoto Protocol under an “EU burden-sharing agreement.” Domestic emissions of six greenhouse gases by the 27-nation European Union (EU) fell by 1.2 percent, or the equivalent of 59 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), in 2007 over 2006, the agency said. The EU-27 emitted 9.3 percent less gas than in 1990, the base year for the Kyoto Protocol. The 15 older members of the EU saw a year-on-year decrease in emissions of 1.6 percent. Under Kyoto, the EU-15 signed up to an overall reduction of eight percent according to a timeframe of 2008-2012. By the end of 2007, the 15 were 5.0 percent below the 1990 benchmark, the EAA said. The big laggards are Spain, Denmark, Ireland, Austria and Finland. These figures do not take into account “forest sinks,” by which Kyoto signatures can include the carbon-absorbing capacity of woodlands in their emissions targets. In a press release, EAA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said billions of euros earmarked to ease the economic crisis in Europe would have a beneficial spin-off in carbon emissions. The next step is agreement at UN talks in Copenhagen this year that will deepen commitments beyond 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol's provisions expire, McGlade said. “The economic stimulus packages that governments are currently adopting represent a crucial opportunity to address the climate crisis and the financial crisis simultaneously,” she said. “A strong Copenhagen agreement later this year would drive forward investments vital to our future prosperity.” In Brussels, the EU fulfill international promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 8 percent below 1990 levels by 2012, EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said on Friday.
