The EU Monday welcomed the announcement by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of a plan to cut carbon emissions from power plants by 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard in a statement said "this proposed rule is the strongest action ever taken by the US government to fight climate change, which is good news and also shows that the United States is taking climate change seriously.
"If implemented as planned, this measure will help the country meet its 2020 emissions target. This of course sends a positive signal ahead of the Paris conference to finalise a new global climate agreement next year," she noted.
"But for Paris (conference) to deliver what is needed to stay below a two C increase in global temperature, all countries, including the United States, must do even more," she added.
The UN Climate Change Conference will be held in Paris, France, in 2015.