Bangkok  - Work for a new climate treaty is inching forward at talks held in Bangkok this week, a European Union diplomat said Monday.

Anders Turesson, the head of the Swedish delegation, said that negotiators managed to streamline a draft for a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which is to be concluded in Copenhagen in December.

Sweden currently holds the rotating EU presidency.

However, further discussion was necessary on substantial issues, including targets for emission reduction the industrialized nations were to sign up for, as well as the financing of climate protection and adaptation measures, Turesson said.

"We do not foresee a big compromise here but discussions that clarify where we can find common ground," he said.

He added that the United States was signalling readiness to agree to binding emission cuts. This development was encouraging, he said, as were statements on climate protection by the new Japanese government.

However, the environmentalist pressure group Greenpeace criticized the EU for failing to agree on a joint position on binding emission targets and financing of adaptation measures.

"The EU did not do its homework," Greenpeace spokesman Tove Ryding said.

"Europe seems headless in the climate question," added Martin Kaiser of Greenpeace's German chapter.

The EU plans to finalize its negotiation positions for Copenhagen only in late october at a meeting of finance and environment ministers and at a summit of heads of state and government. (dpa)