"We must keep up the momentum for ratification," Prodi said after the conclusion of a EU-Japan summit.

"Joint efforts must be taken in this direction," Prodi told a joint press conference with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, whose country holds the EU presidency, and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Speaking to AFP, a Japanese foreign ministry official close to the talks quoted Prodi as saying that he was very worried about the Kyoto protocol. "The momentum is losing steam," Prodi was quoted as saying.

Despite the fact that more than 100, mostly developing nations, have already ratified the treaty, the United States' and Australia's withdrawal from it means that Russia must ratify the treaty for it to enter into force.

The treaty sets individual targets for industrialised countries -- but not developing ones -- to trim their emissions of carbon gases, the byproduct of burning fossil fuels, by a deadline of 2008-2012, with 1990 the base year.

The treaty requires participants to reduce emissions on average by 5.2 percent.

The EU had initially wanted the Protocol to enter into force ahead of the Johannesburg world summit on sustainable development in September 2002.

SPACE.WIRE