The European Union's "bubble" which would permit Ireland to increase its greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent while achieving a similar reduction for the EU as a whole by 2010 has come under sustained attack from Japan and the US.
This latest diplomatic row at the UN's Climate Change Summit came to light last night at the Kyoto Conference Centre. The various protagonists bluntly outlined their differences over the EU's "burden-sharing" deal. The head of the Japanese delegation, Mr Toshiaki Tanabe, said the proposals that larger EU member states like Britain and Germany would make deep cuts while others - such as Ireland - could increase their emissions would put his country at a disadvantage.
He revealed that Japan was proposing that the EU should be required to achieve a higher reduction target than the rest of the industrialised world because of its "bubble" arrangement, saying this was necessary in the interests of "equity and transparency".
But Mr Pierre Gramegna, ambassador of Luxembourg, holder of the EU presidency, said he wanted to make it clear that the EU "will not accept that", because it was neither politically nor economically acceptable.
"Can you imagine us going home and telling our people and our industry that we had to accept higher targets than anyone else?" he asked. It was also "very regrettable" that Japan, as host country for the conference, was "leading this offensive".
Mr Gramegna said the EU had explained "again and again" how its "bubble" arrangement would work, with increases in emissions from the less developed states, including Greece, Spain and Portugal, offset by deeper cuts in the larger countries. He seemed perplexed at Japan's insistence on raising the issue and said the host country should instead be seeking agreement. When this was put to Mr Tanabe, he said he felt "quite offended".
Shortly afterwards, the US delegation told another news conference that it "certainly" shared Japan's concerns about the EU bubble because this arrangement involved setting differentiated targets for its member states while denying that to others.
Ms Melinda Kimble, acting Assistant Secretary of State at the head of the US delegation, said it raised both transparency and accountability" issues, but she expressed the hope that it would not be an impediment to agreement.
The EU has suggested that the US should form its own "bubble" with Canada and Mexico, its partners in the North American Free Trade Association. However, what the US initially proposed was that it would create quite a different "bubble" - with Russia.
The EU saw this as an attempt by the US to "cash in" on Russia's relatively low level of greenhouse gas emissions - largely as a result of economic collapse - while maintaining its own emissions at their current high levels.
The US proposal was greeted with near derision by the EU, which continues to insist that the Americans, who account for nearly 25 per cent of global carbon dioxide - must face up to their responsibilities.
