BRUSSELS — The European Union’s national leaders vented their frustration about the bloc’s green transition but ultimately reached an agreement without demanding specific changes to climate legislation Thursday night.
The leaders’ debate centered on how to align the EU’s climate goals with economic concerns and was meant to resolve a deadlock over the bloc’s new emissions-cutting target for 2040.
Many leaders raised national pet issues during the debate, diplomats briefed on the talks said, but refrained from insisting their specific concerns be addressed in a decision text — which would have made it impossible to reach a consensus agreement.
The eventual conclusions were agreed unchanged from the draft text prepared by diplomats this week — though few countries were entirely satisfied with the outcome. “Classic balance, everyone equally unhappy,” one diplomat said.
