Provisional deal agreed on EU climate law

Negotiators for EU member states and the European Parliament today reached a provisional agreement on the legal text setting out a European climate law.

The agreement confirms a collective net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target, after removals, of at least 55pc by 2030 compared with 1990 but with a limit of 225mn t of carbon dioxide equivalent on removals.

EU member states said negotiators agreed on the need to give "priority to emissions reductions over removals" and the EU "aiming" to achieve a higher volume of carbon net sink by 2030.

The provisional agreement, which needs to be formally approved by EU member states and the parliament, sets up a 15-member European scientific advisory board on climate change. The commission should also propose an intermediate climate target for 2040, as well as an EU greenhouse gas budget for 2030-50. There is also an "aspirational" goal for the EU to "strive" to achieve negative emissions after 2050.

Officials said a "clean" text of the agreement reached by negotiators is still being prepared.

The European Parliament last October voted for emissions reductions of 60pc by 2030.

Dutch Green party vice-president Bas Eickhout said it was a "meagre climate act". Belgian Socialists and Democrats member Kathleen Van Brempt said that its ambition could have been higher but that the agreement is a "good start".

By Dafydd ab Iago