Kyoto dispute ‘not personal’
A European Commission official tried yesterday to defuse the row that has broken out between Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias over the United Nations decision to remove Greece from the Kyoto Protocol’s emissions trading scheme. Souflias accused Dimas of «over-dramatizing» the UN’s decision through his statements criticizing the minister. But a member of the commissioner’s cabinet said that the ruling against Greece is a serious issue, not a personal one. «The case of Greece violating the Kyoto Protocol is not related to any personal differences between the Public Works Minister and Mr Dimas,» said Dimitris Giotakos. He insisted that Dimas wants to see Greece use this opportunity to its advantage in the fight against climate change.
