BRUSSELS: The European Union's 27 member states struck a deal on Wednesday (Nov 5) on the bloc's next big emissions-cutting targets, after making overnight concessions to win over reluctant capitals in time for the UN's COP30 summit.

EU countries have been haggling for months over two separate targets for slashing greenhouse-gas emissions: a 2040 goal intended as a milestone towards carbon-neutrality, and a related target that they must bring to the climate talks next week in Brazil.

In marathon negotiations that ran most of the night, the bloc finally agreed to target a 90-per cent cut in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2040, compared to 1990 levels, but countries will be allowed to count international carbon credits towards up to 10 per cent of that goal.

Behind only China, the United States and India in terms of emissions, the EU has been the most committed of the major polluters to climate action and has already cut emissions by 37 per cent compared to 1990 levels.

But after blazing a trail, the EU's political landscape has shifted right, and climate concerns have taken a backseat to defence and competitiveness - with concerns in some capitals that greening Europe's economy is harming growth.

Denmark, which holds the bloc's rotating presidency, worked through the night to win over the countries most sceptical of the proposed targets - notably Italy.

The EU needed to win the support of a weighted majority of capitals for the 2040 climate target set out by the European Commission - which implies sweeping changes to industry and daily life at a time of growing concern over adverse impacts on Europe's economy.

Ministers also needed a unanimous deal on the EU emissions target for 2035, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which Paris Agreement signatories are supposed to bring to the COP30.

That objective, set at between 66.25 per cent and 72.5 per cent, was also agreed overnight.

"NOT PRETTY"

To win over the staunchest sceptics, Tuesday's talks covered a range of "flexibilities" for member states, including letting countries count carbon credits purchased to finance projects outside Europe.

A commission offer for credits to account for up to three per cent of a nation's 2040 emission cuts failed to win over hardliners, with countries eventually securing a higher threshold of 10 per cent.

Countries including Poland and Hungary also secured backing for a one-year de...