People enjoy the water spray jets at Bastille square in center Paris, on August 23, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)

BRUSSELS — Environmental campaigners have taken a first step towards legally challenging the European Commission over a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saying it fell short of Europe's "fair share" in combating climate change.

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and the non-profit Global Legal Action Network said on Thursday they had formally asked Brussels to revise a law setting out how fast European Union countries must cut emissions in sectors including agriculture and transport.

The EU law in question is one of more than a dozen policies designed to reduce the bloc's net emissions by 55 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels

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The EU law in question is one of more than a dozen policies designed to reduce the bloc's net emissions by 55 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels. That is one of the most ambitious climate targets of any major economy, but the campaigners want it lifted to 65 percent.

CAN Europe Policy Coordinator Romain Didi said the law, and the EU climate target it was designed to deliver, fell short of Europe's "fair share" in global efforts to fight climate change, when the continent's historical emissions were taken into account.

"The EU needs to take into account its historical responsibility and its capacity to act, to ensure that it does enough to meet the 1.5C goal of the Paris Agreement," Didi told Reuters.

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The European Commission is examining the request, a spokesperson said. "The Commission does not consider this implementing decision to be in breach of fundamental rights," the spokesperson added, referring to the EU law.