European Union leaders have made a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to renewable fuels. German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated that the EU's decisions, which include a goal for renewable sources to account for 20% of energy use by 2020, position it as a leader in the fight against climate change. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso emphasized that Europe is setting an example for the rest of the world in combatting global warming. The EU package established goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, and utilizing biofuels. Leaders are pushing for energy-saving lighting to be mandatory in all buildings and streets by the end of the decade, affecting the entire population of 490 million citizens. Barroso believes that Europe can gain an economic advantage by investing in green technology early on, while businesses are worried about potential costs and losing competitiveness to cheaper foreign competitors. The agreement includes Europe-wide targets for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and expanding renewable energy sources, but individual countries will need to agree to specific national goals, leading to potential conflicts between Brussels and member states. Merkel successfully negotiated for a legally binding target for renewable fuels like solar, wind, and hydro-electric power, which was a highly debated issue. Leaders agreed to the 20 percent target for renewable sources while allowing flexibility on individual country contributions. The United Nations praised the plan as ambitious in the fight against climate change, with deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe emphasizing the importance of ambition and leadership in addressing this critical issue. British Prime Minister Tony Blair described the targets set by the European Union as groundbreaking, bold, and ambitious. He informed reporters that a significant amount of effort is needed for Europe to achieve this goal, but it will result in Europe having a strong leadership position on the critical issue. The summit statement, by promising to respect each country's energy sources and capabilities, was satisfactory to countries like France, Poland, Cyprus, and Malta. The leaders agreed to a goal of reducing EU greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, with the possibility of increasing to 30 percent if other major nations also commit. Additionally, there was a target of 10 percent for biofuels in transportation by 2020, to be implemented in a cost-effective manner. However, they did not support the European Commission's proposal to require large utility companies to sell or separate their generation and distribution businesses. They agreed that there needs to be an "effective separation of supply and production activities from network operations," but did not mention breaking up energy giants like E.ON, RWE, Gaz de France, and EDF. Renewables currently make up less than 7 percent of the EU energy mix, and the bloc is not meeting its targets for renewable energy and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. French President Jacques Chirac argued that nuclear power, which accounts for 70 percent of France's electricity, should also be considered in Europe's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, some EU countries are against nuclear power, such as Germany, which is phasing it out. Poland secured a commitment to "a spirit of solidarity amongst member states," which implies that western Europe will support former Soviet bloc states if Russia cuts off energy supplies. Many new ex-communist member states in central Europe were hesitant to support the renewables target due to concerns about the costs of the green energy revolution. Angela Merkel, as chair of the Group of Eight industrialized powers, aims to push the EU to lead the way in environmental initiatives. The summit's decisions will influence the EU's stance in global discussions to replace the UN Kyoto Protocol when it ends in 2012. Environmentalists, who have been critical of the EU in the past, praised the agreement as a significant step forward.