Press Release: Emissions trading: Commission continues legal action against four member states

The European Commission was continuing legal action against four Member States for not having fully transposed the Emissions Trading Directive into national law by 31 December 2003. Greece, Italy, Belgium and Finland are being taken to the European Court of Justice. The Emissions Trading scheme, a major initiative to help the EU and its Member States meet their emission targets under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, will ensure that greenhouse gas emissions in the energy and industry sectors are cut at least cost to the economy. It will be the largest such scheme ever implemented. Incomplete national transposition of the Directive by the four Member States has not hindered the start of the emissions trading scheme on 1 January as planned. In a separate case, the Commission is also sending Italy a final written warning because it has submitted an incomplete National allocation plan. National allocation plans have to outline the number of CO2 emission allowances that Member States intend to allocate to their industries.