THE EUROPEAN Commission has increased Slovakia’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions limit for 2008 to 2012 to 32.6 million tonnes. That is 1.7 million tonnes more than the original emissions cap, but still 8.7 million tonnes less that the Slovak Environment Ministry originally asked for, the Hospodárske Noviny economic daily wrote.
The Environment Ministry welcomed the commission’s decision, but said more was needed.
“The limit does not cover Slovakia’s needs,” said ministry spokesperson Peter Višváder. “In its efforts to reach an out-of-court settlement, (Slovakia) has requested to increase the quota by five million tonnes annually, at least.”
The European Commission raised the quota after Slovakia filed a lawsuit against it in February. In November 2006, the EC gave Slovakia a CO2 emissions limit of 30.9 million tonnes for 2008 to 2012 within the EU emissions trade system, 25 percent below the amount Slovakia requested.
It is not yet known whether the government will withdraw its complaint.
