The European Parliament Tuesday voted against a draft resolution to increase the targeted EU-wide reduction in CO2 emissions from 20 percent to 30 percent by 2020, based on 1990 levels. Some MEPs suggested Poland was partly to blame.

Poland is widely viewed as one of the countries in the EU most resistant CO2 emissions cuts. At a meeting of EU Environment ministers in June, only Poland failed to offer its support to proposals for higher targets until 2050.

Bas Eickout, Dutch Green MEP and rapporteur for the EP's position on EU emissions reduction targets, said that a “Polish focus” might have swayed the vote, which saw the resolution defeated by 347 votes to 258.

All Polish MEPs voted against the resolution, irrespective of their political affiliation.

After the vote, PO member and MEP Bogusław Sonik said, “During an economic crisis it is necessary to analyze the financial implications of increasing CO2 emission targets before potentially making a decision,” business daily Parkiet quoted him as saying.

“We have won an important battle but not the war with regard to this issue,” PiS politician Konrad Szymański, who had campaigned against the resolution, was quoted by Gazeta Wyborcza as saying.

EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger had previously suggested that a 30 percent cut in CO2 emissions by 2020 could lead to the de-industrialisation of Europe, with many industries being forced to relocate to Asia.

Tara Taylor