EU rejects revised UK climate change targets

The European Commission has formally rejected the UK’s request to introduce revised emission trading allowances for British industry.

Brussels said on Tuesday that the request was inadmissible as it fell outside the scope for amendments allowed by a previous decision in July 2004.

The UK announced in March that it would begin legal proceedings against the commission over the right to increase emission allowances.

The UK’s Department for Trade and Industry has launched legal proceedings at the Court of First Instance, to force the commission to look again at its revised allocation.

The UK set a provisional total in its National Allocation Plan (NAP) of 736 million tonnes of CO2 allowances in April 2004, with the caveat that this figure could be subject to change.

After reviewing the UK installations that would be covered by the EU’s emissions trading scheme, London revised their NAP, to a less stringent 756 million tonnes, and submitted the amended total to Brussels in November 2004.

But the commission said it had already conveyed its view that the UK request could not be accepted, both in meetings with the UK authorities and publicly.

The UK also announced in March that it would start issuing emissions trading allowances to UK operators as soon as possible under the original NAP allowance to allow to UK industry to begin participating in the scheme.

Brussels environment chief, Stavros Dimas said the decision should not come as a surprise to the British government.

“We had told the UK authorities that its request was not acceptable,” said Dimas.

“On the other hand I warmly welcome that the UK has nonetheless chosen to issue the originally planned number of allowances, which we had approved. This will allow UK companies to start participating fully in emissions trading.”

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