EU Environment Ministers Fail To Agree On Climate Aid To Poor Countries - AFP

BRUSSELS (AFP) — EU environment ministers on Monday failed to agree on how to support poorer nations to fund the fight against climate change, and kicked the problem upstairs to the heads of state and government.

"We were not quite able to reach consensus on the financing mechanism. This is an issue where the (EU) council (of nations) will need more discussion time," EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas, said after an elongated meeting of EU environment ministers in Brussels.

Czech deputy environment minister Jan Dursik said that "one nation wanted to keep all the options open", without naming it. It emerged that the dissenting nation was Poland, which continued talks with the EU presidency long after some other delegations had already left the talks.

The unresolved matter will now go to EU finance ministers at their March 10 meeting before ending up in the laps of the 27 heads of state and government at the next European Union summit on March 19-20. The EU ministers agreed that it would take 175 billion euros per year in 2020. EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said half of that amount would need to be found for developing nations.

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