BRUSSELS, April 17 (Reuters) - The European Commission welcomed on Thursday U.S. President George W. Bush's acceptance of the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions but said the United States must be far more ambitious in tackling climate change.

A spokesman for the European Union executive said Bush's plan to cap U.S. greenhouse emissions by 2025, announced on Wednesday, fell far short of the action needed by developed countries to save the planet from catastrophic global warming.

"This does not match with the level of ambition needed on the part of developed countries, considering their responsibilities in the challenge we face," the spokesman said in a statement to Reuters. (reporting by Paul Taylor, editing by Dale Hudson)

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