TOYAKO, Japan, July 8 (Reuters) - Group of Eight leaders are set to take an "important step" forward on fighting climate change later on Tuesday after negotiators agreed on a joint statement for their summit, a European Union source said.

"The European Commission is confident and optimistic about the outcome and that this will mean an important step compared with Heiligendamm," the source told Reuters.

The EU has pressed the United States to go beyond a commitment at last year's summit in Germany to "seriously consider" carbon emissions cuts of 50 percent by 2050 by now agreeing to that target and the need for shorter-term action.

The EU source declined to give details of the G8 draft statement on climate change. (Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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