Copenhagen, 26 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) - The economic recovery after coronavirus-hit 2020 has caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the European Union to rise again year-on-year after a long period of decline. According to preliminary figures, emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases in the EU increased by an estimated 5% in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to a report published on Wednesday by the European Environment Agency (EEA). But emissions were about 6% lower than in the pre-coronavirus year of 2019. Between 1990 and 2020, emissions from the 27 EU states fell by 32%, which means that the climate target of a 20% reduction issued for 2020 was clearly achieved. However, annual progress must be more than doubled on the way to the more ambitious 2030 climate and energy targets, the experts at the Copenhagen-based EU agency wrote. Emissions would have to fall by an average of 134 million tons of CO2 per year, or 4%, to meet the target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030.