EU agrees final stance for Copenhagen climate talks

The eastern European countries want to keep selling AAUs under the deal that replaces Kyoto. But some countries such as Germany say they undermine the integrity of the agreement and want to scrap them because they lessen the need for action to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Sweden won eastern Europe's support for the overall deal in return for postponing any bold action on AAUs, one EU diplomat said.

The deal also included action on domestic emissions, with a pledge to strengthen cuts to 30 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 if other nations take similar steps.

(Reporting by Pete Harrison, John O'Donnell, Marcin Grajewski, Tim Castle and David Brunnstrom, writing by Pete Harrison, editing by Timothy Heritage and Dale Hudson)