Carbon dioxide (CO2) from power plants or automobiles and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) from refrigerators and air conditioners are two key examples of potent gases that scientists blame for warming the earth.

The EU-15's emissions of such gases jumped by 11.5 million tonnes in 2004, a 0.3 percent rise over the previous year, but were still 0.9 percent below their base year -- in most cases 1990, the European Commission said in a statement.

Those figures were worse than 2003, when EU-15 emissions were down 1.2 percent compared to their base years.

Higher CO2 emissions from cars and trucks, iron and steel production, and oil refining all contributed to the 2004 rise.

Emissions for the full 25-nation bloc rose 0.4 percent in 2004 compared to 2003 but were down 7.3 percent over their base year levels, the Commission said.

The EU-15 has a collective Kyoto target, while eight of the 10 mostly former Communist states that joined in 2004 have targets of their own. Malta and Cyprus do not have targets.

"To meet our emissions reduction target member states need to intensify their efforts to implement the many EU measures to combat climate change that have been agreed over the past few years," Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said in a statement.

All EU nations are active in the bloc's emissions trading scheme, which puts limits on the amount of CO2 industries can emit and allows them to buy or sell pollution permits depending on whether they overshoot or undershoot their quotas.

EU states must turn in plans outlining the amount of pollution rights industries will get in the 2008-2012 phase of the scheme to the European Commission by June 30.

Dimas urged EU governments to use the plans to counter the poor emissions trend.

"With their new national allocation plans, due by the end of this month, member states now have a major opportunity to reverse unsustainable emission trends and ensure they will achieve their Kyoto targets," he said.

There were some success stories in 2004. Economic heavyweight Germany saw overall emissions fall by 0.9 percent as it used more renewable energy sources in electricity production, the Commission said. Denmark's emissions fell 8.1 percent.