EC wrong to impose CO2 permit cap
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
18.11.2011 09:47
The EU was wrong to impose a cap on CO2 emission permits on Poland for the years 2008 to 2012, an advocate general has said at the European Court of Justice.
Advocate General Verica Trstenjak said that nation states have a “large area of manoeuvre” when deciding how many permits they offer.
The European Commission had earlier ruled that Poland, and Estonia, could not hand out so many free carbon permits, which would depress their prices.
The permit scheme, launched in 2005, is a major part of the EU's attempt to limit CO2 emissions in the 27-nation bloc.
Though not binding, the opinion of the advocate general signals what the final decision by the court will be when it rules sometime next year.
The European Commission has said it was concerned by the advocate general’s opinion.
As an initial reaction, the Commission is disappointed that the opinion delivered today apparently dismisses the Commission's interpretation of the EU ETS Directive," Isaac Valero Ladron, the Commission's climate spokesman told Reuters, Thursday. (pg)