US 'spurns' global warming talks

Ministers had hoped to repair damage caused by the failure of The Hague

The United States has declined to attend a meeting with European Union ministers this week on the issue of global warming.

A French Government spokeswoman made the announcement to journalists during a meeting of EU environment ministers in Brussels.

Convening ministers in Oslo, but then failing to reach agreement, would not advance our common goals

US chief negotiator, Frank Loy

Norway had offered to host a meeting at the end of this week, to allow the two sides an opportunity to settle the disagreements over cuts in greenhouse gases that led to the failure of last month's UN-sponsored talks in The Hague.

But the US had already made it clear it would not go to Oslo if a successful outcome was unlikely.

The European ministers - who are meeting in Brussels - made contact with the US and its supporters - Canada, Australia and Japan -in an hour-long conference call - but a short time later they received the news that the so-called umbrella group would not be coming to Oslo.

That meeting will not now take place.

"Convening ministers in Oslo, but then failing to reach agreement, would not advance our common goals," said US Under-secretary for Global Affairs, Frank Loy, in a fax to the French environment minister, Dominique Voynet.

The Bush factor

The BBC's Colin Blane in Brussels says the US decision is a real setback for EU environment ministers who had hoped a meeting in Oslo might begin to repair the damage caused by the failure of talks in The Hague.

The EU wants the US, Canada, Australia and Japan to agree to cut pollution by reducing emissions from factories and cars.

Washington and its supporters insist that the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by forests should be taken into account when measuring emissions.

Some European environment ministers have said they believe it will be even more difficult to reach a compromise after US President-Elect George W Bush takes office.

But a French government spokesman said there would be a further opportunity to discuss climate change at a United Nations environment programme meeting in Nairobi next month.