Merkel risks rift at EU summit over energy

Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, on Monday faced the risk that Europe’s drive to fight climate change could provoke an east-west split at a European Union summit in Brussels this week.

Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary are among seven new EU member states resisting binding targets forcing them to invest heavily in renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.
Coal remains a vital source of power in many eastern European countries and is cheaper than the alternative energy sources being promoted by Ms Merkel, chair of the summit, which will be held on Thursday and Friday.

Germany, the holder of the rotating EU presidency, wants the summit to prove that Europe is willing to provide a global lead in tackling climate change.

Ms Merkel believes that Europe will not be taken seriously unless it agrees a binding target for the use of renewables – set at 20 per cent of all energy use by 2020 – which could in theory be enforced in the European court.

But renewables are currently expensive and some central and eastern European countries believe that the 20 per cent target could be onerous. EU diplomats said some of the liberal new members also disliked being set mandatory targets by Brussels.

Financial Times