Press Release: State aid: Commission closes formal investigation on CO2 taxation system in Slovenia following changes to legislation

The European Commission on 1 December 2005 approved under EC Treaty state aid rules a Slovenian scheme granting reductions in carbon dioxide taxation to operators of combined heat and power (CHP) installations; companies that participated in the EU emission trading scheme, in line with the Directive on emission trading, and companies that entered into voluntary environmental agreements. The Slovene Government introduced significant changes to bring the scheme into conformity with the EU state aid rules for environmental protection schemes following the opening of a Commission investigation in December 2004.