Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, used some smart diplomatic footwork on Thursday to quell a rebellion by eight European Union countries that had threatened to stall the bloc’s effort to agree on a wide range of ­climate reforms by the end of the year.

The key question now is whether the EU can assuage enough of its member states’ concerns, while keeping its goals intact. For each group that receives special consideration, others are bound to demand similar treatment.