German govt says cannot confirm CO2 cars deal

Reuters
Published: November 21, 2008

BERLIN: A German government spokesman said on Friday he could not confirm that Europe's big four auto making nations had reached an agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
"I believe there has been a narrowing of differences but there is not yet a complete agreement," Thomas Steg told a regular news conference. "I cannot confirm the report that there has been an agreement. The talks are continuing."
On Thursday, Reuters quoted government sources in Berlin and Brussels saying the four countries had reached an agreement after Italy joined a deal between Britain, France and Germany, government sources in Rome and Berlin said.
The European Union executive had proposed cutting carbon dioxide from cars by an average of 18 percent to 130 grams per km by 2012, mindful of U.N. warnings that climate change will bring more droughts, extreme weather and rising sea levels.
It hoped a further 10 grams could be cut by introducing better tyres, fuels and air-conditioning.

Any binding deal must be approved by the European Parliament, and three-way talks between parliament, member states and the Commission are scheduled for November 24.