Howard slaps down EU climate criticism

Prime Minister John Howard says the European Union (EU) should get its own house in order before it criticises Australia over greenhouse emissions.
EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas has claimed political pride is the only reason Australia has refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Speaking at a meeting of the United Nations intergovernmental panel on climate change, Mr Dimas urged Australia to sign up to the protocol - a move which he said would boost international efforts to address climate change.
But Mr Howard says 12 of the EU's member countries are not on track to meet their Kyoto targets, citing Italy, Spain and Portugal as examples.
"You've got the spokesman for a group of countries lecturing us about not having signed Kyoto," he said.
"Yet the great bulk of the countries on whose behalf he speaks are falling well behind their Kyoto targets, and are doing less well than Australia in meeting them.
"Look to your own affairs, get your countries complying with the targets you've proclaimed. And can I also say to the Australian public, that we should be very wary of European lectures on this issue."
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