BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) does not expect to reach an agreement on its new UN-mandated climate target in time for a key deadline this month, and has instead drafted plans to submit a temporary goal, which could change later, an EU negotiating document seen by Reuters showed.

EU countries are struggling to reach a deal on their new climate target for 2040, which has derailed plans for the bloc to submit a 2035 target to the United Nations (UN) by a deadline this month for all countries to do so. The EU had planned to derive its 2035 climate target from the 2040 goal.

The draft EU document, seen by Reuters, showed the bloc is now instead considering submitting a "statement of intent" to the UN about what its 2035 goal will be - indicating it will be between a 66.3 percent and a 72.5 percent emissions reduction by 2035, from 1990 levels.

READ MORE: EU recommends 2040 climate target, goes light on farming

The EU will decide its final 2035 target later, after it reaches a deal on its 2040 climate goal, the document said. EU countries' ambassadors will on Tuesday discuss the draft, which could still change during the negotiations.

The move aims to avoid the EU being empty-handed at the UN general assembly next week, where UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asked countries to announce their climate targets, to drum up momentum for the global COP30 climate negotiations in November.

Manon Dufour, an executive director at think tank E3G, said the plan could allow the EU to agree on a more ambitious target later, ahead of COP30 - but that it raised questions about EU leadership on climate change.

"It does very little to dispel doubts about the EU's domestic transition, or galvanize global partners ahead of the UN General Assembly, in such a critical year for global climate action," she said.

The higher end of the target range reflects a pathway towards a 90 percent emissions reduction by 2040 - which is what EU countries are negotiating as their 2040 climate goal, the document said.

READ MORE: EU climate agency: 2024 set to be warmest year on record

The lower end is calculated by drawing a straight line between the EU's existing 2030 and 2050 climate goals.

Countries including Poland have backed a range starting at the lower end, while countries including Spain and Denmark want a more ambitious goal, EU diplomats said.

Denmark, which holds the rotating EU presidency, drafted the document. It declined to comment.