Brussels, 07/03/2007 (Agence Europe) - The president of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, who will be attending his first European Council on Thursday, will call upon the heads of state and government to go beyond the proposals of the Commission on the fight against climate change and to agree on a more drastic reduction of CO2 emissions, and a more ambitious binding objective for renewable energy sources. “In my speech on Thursday evening, I will propose, on behalf of the European Parliament, that the European Union set itself the binding objective of reducing CO2 emissions by 30% by 2020 - irrespective of the attitude of the other developed countries of the planet- and a binding proportion of renewable energies of 25%” in the energy mix of the EU, Mr Pöttering told a group of journalists on Wednesday. The EP's call is, however, unlikely to be taken up, given the general consensus which already appears to exist between the member states on a unilateral objective of 20% for reducing CO2 emissions by 2020 (30% if the other developed countries join in) and 20% for renewable energies (EUROPE 9380). The only uncertainty is whether or not these objectives should be binding in nature. This issue will be a focus of the debates to be held by the heads of state and government this Thursday evening. Exceptionally, the German presidency has also invited Mr Pöttering to the leaders' dinner of Thursday evening (the president of the EP does not usually take part) to discuss the Declaration of Berlin. This declaration, which will be made on 25 March, “two to three pages”, will, amongst other things, quote the “success stories of European integration”, said Mr Pöttering (thinking of an end to dictatorships in Greece, Portugal and Spain, the wave of enlargement of 2004 towards central and eastern Europe, but also of the euro and the abolition of the internal boundaries), the “common values” (including the European social model) and the “challenges” of Europe (globalisation, climate change, dialogue between cultures, the fight against terrorism, etc). Even though it will not be able to resolve the problem of the Constitution, it should at least clearly express the EU's intentions of reforming its institutions, insisted the president of the EP. (hb)