EU Commission to Rule Soon on UK Emissions Plan
Date: 07-Feb-06
Country: BELGIUM
The EU's emissions trading scheme sets limits on how much carbon dioxide (CO2), the main gas blamed for global warming, high-polluting factories like power plants can emit.
Companies buy or sell rights to pollute, based on limits that are set by national governments and approved by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm.
Britain ran afoul with the Commission for making changes to its original plan that would allow British industry to pump out nearly three percent more C02 in the 2005-2007 period than first foreseen.
The EU Court of First Instance sided with Britain in the dispute, ruling in November that Britain was entitled to make changes to its plan, even if that meant easing pollution limits for industry.
That revised plan still requires approval from the Commission, however. A Commission spokeswoman said on Monday the Brussels body would not appeal the court's ruling and would decide soon on Britain's revised plan.
"We are not contesting the court's decision," Barbara Helfferich said. She declined to give a specific timeframe for when the decision on the plan would be made.
The trading scheme was launched last year as the key instrument in the EU's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.