The European Union is on track to meet its collective target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, Brussels said on Friday. However, the European Commission warned against complacency as it revealed that seven member states were running behind. “These projections show there is no room for complacency or error,” environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said.

The 15 states that were members in 2004 pledged to cut their joint emissions in the 2008-2012 period to 8 per cent below 1990 levels. The European Commission’s annual progress report showed that the cut could be achieved by 2010 if governments implement their plans and use all the tools available under the Kyoto treaty. The 25-member EU set up the world’s first binding trading scheme in 2005.