The European Environment Agency has published the latest EU inventory of greenhouse gas emissions showing that emissions fell again significantly in 2008, the first year of the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period. European Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard welcomed the news. The fall marks the fifth consecutive annual decrease

With a 1.9% drop in EU-15 emissions between 2007 and 2008 and an economy that grew by 0.6%, the EU has shown again that economic growth and low-carbon development can go hand in hand.

EU-27 emissions fell 2% compared to 2007. They consequently stood 11.3% below levels in 1990 and 14.3% below levels in the base year (which for some Member States differs from 1990).

There is no EU-27 emissions target under the Kyoto Protocol since the EU-12 were not Member States at the time. However, all of the EU-12 have individual Kyoto commitments to cut emissions to 6% or 8% below base year levels, except Cyprus and Malta which have no targets.

Verified emissions from all installations in the EU ETS in 2008 totalled 2.12 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent, representing about 43% of total EU emissions. 2008 ETS emissions were 3.06% lower than the 2007 level.

The data was compiled by the European Environment Agency and has been submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The EU is committed to an independent economy-wide emissions reduction target of 20% by 2020, compared with 1990 levels,