Europe successfully reached a broad agreement to combat climate change by incentivizing east European countries to accept changes that will penalize their heavily polluting power sectors and increase electricity prices. Despite criticism from environmental groups for allowing numerous industry exemptions, the historic deal aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020. While some believe the policy lacks strong leadership and has significant flaws, French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed it as a historic achievement, emphasizing the binding nature of the rules adopted by Europe. The agreement was reached after a lengthy battle lasting a year, which was mainly characterized by a conflict between eastern and western Europe regarding the expenses involved. The nine eastern European countries were perceived as the final obstacle to reaching a consensus on a set of measures aimed at addressing climate change, despite the fact that these measures will increase costs for their heavily polluting coal-fired power industries. A portion of the funds, amounting to around 12 percent of revenues generated from the EU's main emissions trading scheme (ETS), will be allocated to these countries. This funding is intended as a form of compensation for the substantial decrease in emissions that occurred when their industries collapsed after the fall of communism. Additionally, their power sectors will be gradually required to pay for emissions permits from the ETS, starting at 30 percent in 2013 and increasing to 100 percent by 2020. Hungary and Italy were both involved in negotiations over funding, with Hungary being resistant and Italy seeking to protect its industries. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi expressed reluctance to veto the climate deal, as he did not want to be seen as the "bad guy" by the left. Measures were agreed upon to prevent carbon restrictions from harming European industry's competitiveness. Industries facing international competition will receive free emissions permits if costs increase by 5 percent, covering over 90 percent of EU industry. A British diplomat stated that Britain successfully obtained increased funding for advanced technology to capture and store emissions from power plants beneath North Sea gas fields. The diplomat emphasized that Prime Minister Gordon Brown considered this a top priority, as it not only benefits the environment but also positions Europe as a leader in creating jobs and promoting economic growth.