GERMANY/EU:Germany is expected to propose radical cuts in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions at this week's EU summit in Brussels as an ideological row over nuclear energy raises its head once more in Berlin.
The German presidency is expected to push for a 30 per cent cut in the nation's industrialised emissions by 2020 - greater than the 20 per cent suggested by EU environment ministers last month - and a total 60-80 per cent cut by 2050.
If backed by the summit, Germany will propose the more ambitious measures at the June summit of the G8, also headed by Germany this year.
The issue of CO2 emission reductions revived a long-running dispute in Germany's grand coalition over the phasing-out of nuclear power by 2020 as agreed by the previous government.
That date lies far beyond the life of this government and the two coalition partners have agreed to leave the agreement untouched for now, but Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats bridle at the agreement at every turn.
Conservative economics minister Michael Glos hit out at the Social Democrat environment minister colleague Sigmar Gabriel at the weekend for refusing to extend the life of a nuclear power plant.
"With his attitude Mr Gabriel is showing that leftist anti-nuclear ideology is more important to him than climate protection," said Mr Glos in Bild am Sonntag newspaper. Conservatives see nuclear power as an effective way to reduce CO2 emissions and reduce Germany's dependence on energy imports.
Mr Gabriel hit back in a separate interview, saying Germany could do without nuclear energy, and reduce CO2 emissions through more efficient use of existing energy resources and greater investment in renewable energy.
"Whoever gives us the choice of nuclear energy or CO2 is asking us to choose between cholera and the plague," he said. "I'm for living healthier, and not having to choose between two diseases."
The German discussion over nuclear power comes as Vienna and Prague square up for another row over radioactive leaks from the Temelin nuclear plant, near the Austrian border.
More than 2,000 litres of radioactive water leaked from the plant last Monday night hours before a visit to Prague by Austrian chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer. He said he was "very annoyed" to learn two days later of the leak, calling it an "unfriendly act". Czech officials said the leak was harmless, but it has revived safety concerns surrounding the Soviet-era plant.