EU says drive to simplify will not weaken climate agenda

By Kate Abnett

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Union's drive to simplify rules will not weaken the bloc's climate change goals, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

She was speaking on Wednesday after the Commission published a plan to boost EU competitiveness, the first of a series of EU policies to support industries, as it seeks to present a counter-offer to U.S. President Donald Trump's promise to scrap regulation.

Von der Leyen said Brussels would need to adapt its rules as industries undertake the clean energy transition - but that this would not mean weakening its targets to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, and zero them out by 2050.

"We stay the course. The goals are cast in stone," she told a news conference. "The goals stay, the objective stays, but we want to reach it better and faster. And for that, we have to reduce complexity."

Europe and the U.S. have diverged in their approaches to climate change.

After taking office last week, Trump halted U.S. government clean tech funding and quit the Paris climate agreement.

Von der Leyen said Europe's plan to boost competitiveness was not at odds with its green agenda - since both aim to expand the local manufacturing of clean technologies and renewable energy.

But she faces pressure from some industries, governments and lawmakers to weaken climate policies that are designed to ensure Europe meets its emissions targets.

Countries, including Poland, want to delay a planned EU carbon market for transport and heating fuels. Italy and the Czech Republic are among those opposing the EU's 2035 phase-out of combustion engine cars, and centre-right lawmakers have proposed delaying the EU's carbon border tax.

EU proposals due late next month will offer a first signal of the extent to which Brussels plans cut red tape - a mission it embarked on months ago that has gathered urgency now Trump is back in office.

The EU confirmed on Wednesday that next month's measures will include pared-back reporting requirements for businesses under three EU sustainability rules, "among others".

The three policies being tackled first are the EU's sustainable finance reporting law, its due diligence rules, and its "taxonomy" defining which investments can be labelled as climate-friendly.

EU officials say Brussels is also considering adding the carbon border tariff to next month's simplification package.

(Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Barbara Lewis)