Influential European Environmental Bureau Urges European Union to Pursue Stronger Environmental Goals

 The European Union should seek adoption by developed countries of a 40 percent reduction target in greenhouse gas emissions for the 1990 to 2020 period, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) said last week.

The EEB, which consists of more than 130 European environmental organizations from 31 countries, also recommended that EU member states shift 10 percent of their income tax-derived revenues away from labor and to energy and resource use. The recommendations were part of the EEB's "Ten Green Tests for the 2009 Swedish Presidency" of the EU.

Sweden will serve as president of the EU from the first of July through Dec. 31, 2009.  The Swedish government will play a leading role in determining the EU's negotiating position in the run up to the UN climate change meeting in Copenhagen in December.

Before each of the EU's 6-month presidencies, the EEB issues a list of 10 priorities that the presiding country should seek during its tenure as president.