European Union environment ministers are Friday seeking agreement on how to push forward Europe's climate agenda, an effort that will require breaking stubborn opposition by Poland.

Ministers are supposed to agree a common stance on a European Commission strategy on how to reach a goal of cutting EU carbon dioxide emissions by at least 80% by 2050. This is a key step in the bloc's efforts to finalize its long-term climate policy, but Poland is threatening again to veto any conclusions, after stalling the same talks last June.

The EU has long positioned itself as a global leader on climate mitigation, already agreeing ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions by 20% by 2020. It has also been planning its long-term climate and energy policies around the 2050 goal and the commission--which has executive powers in the EU--is proposing indicative CO2-cutting targets for each decade up until 2050.

But Poland is holding up an accord because it fears that an endorsement of these targets, even if vague, would set the basis for binding rules.

The EU plans to cut emissions by 80%-95% by 2050 from 1990 levels. Although the bloc hasn't yet set policy on how to implement this, it would compel radical changes in some countries' energy mix. Poland feels particularly threatened by this, as it produces more than 90% of its electricity using highly-emitting coal and it fears any move toward tough long-term targets would lead to higher prices, which would have an adverse effect on its economy.

At the same time, Poland worries that the most immediate alternative to coal would be natural gas, which is abundant and relatively inexpensive, but that would mean increasing the country's dependence on imports from Russia . Poland buys about two-thirds of its gas needs from Russia , and often complains that it pays over the odds.

If there is no agreement reached Friday, the issue will have to be discussed at the next meeting of environment ministers in June, but in the meanwhile government leaders will likely be called in to solve the impasse, an EU official explained.

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