"The United States and Germany will broaden and reinforce their activities in three areas of common action to improve energy security and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, while supporting strong economic growth," a White House statement said.

The document listed the three areas as: joint activities to further develop and deploy cleaner, more efficient technologies to support sustainable development; cooperation in advancing climate science and developing effective national policy; and joint action to raise the efficiency of the energy sector and address air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the two countries and around the world.

The declaration, which contained no specific targets, said that Germany and the United States would continue their efforts in the context of an action plan on sustainable development by the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

It focused on clean technology such as fuel cells and photovoltaics and underlined a joint commitment to the multilateral Methane to Markets Partnership that will advance the commercial use of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from coalmines, natural gas and oil reserves and landfills.

The United States, the top international polluter, and the European Union have been at odds over the environment after Washington pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol, which commits 34 industrialized countries to cutting greenhouse gas output to curb global warming.

Schroeder said the agreement showed that although disagreement persisted over the Kyoto treaty, progress could be made on environmental protection.

"We think that there could be room for maneuver, particularly in the field of technology, where the United States of America and Germany both have tremendous know-how," he told reporters at a joint news conference.

"We would like to deepen cooperation in this field, irrespective of the question of whether Kyoto is the right tool to be going about things."

Bush was on a one-day visit to Germany as part of a fence-mending European tour. Many of the protests organized against the president focused on what they called his dismal record on the environment.

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