The European Union is struggling to pull together a common climate change strategy ahead of the next round of international talks on the issue to be held in Bonn in June. The European Union’s German presidency plans to call a special meeting of EU environment ministers on May 18 to hammer out an agreement. The Netherlands and Sweden have held up negotiations by pressing for greater flexibility in meeting targets for reductions of greenhouse gas emissions; the two nations want to be able to trade credits or undertake projects in other countries rather than implement dramatic reductions domestically. The European Commission wants a limit on the use of these flexible mechanisms.
