Premier Silvio Berlusconi on Friday said he was satisfied that Italy’s requests had been accommodated in a compromise on the European Union’s climate package. ‘‘Once again our tactical ability has paid off,’’ he said. Berlusconi said Europe was now at the forefront of the battle against climate change but insisted that it could not be ‘‘left to foot the bill on its own’‘. ‘‘The other carbon-dioxide emitting countries must also make a commitment at the Copenhagen world climate conference in 2009,’’ Berlusconi said. The new deal accommodates two Italian demands that Foreign Minister Franco Frattini described as deal-breakers earlier this week. In one new clause, the entire climate package will be reviewed in March 2010 after the Copenhagen conference in December 2009 in order to ensure Europe is not isolated, and therefore penalised economically, in its fight against climate change. In a second major concession to Italy, the Italian manufacturing sector will receive free ‘polluting permits’ when European industries and companies have to start ‘paying to pollute’ via an auction system in 2013.
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