MEPs suggest EC greenhouse gas benchmarks are illegal

SBB 11 February A group of six members of the European Parliament have submitted a draft resolution questioning the legality of the European Commission’s proposed industrial greenhouse gas benchmarks, Steel Business Briefing learns.

The benchmarks will determine the amount of free carbon credits allocated to the European steel industry under the Emissions Trading System (ETS) from 2013 onwards. Eurofer has said that the benchmarks have been set below what is technically possible to achieve.

The MEPs, members of the centre-right European People’s Party, have raised a number of complaints against the benchmarks. These include the issue of how steelmakers are allocated free credits for the combustion of waste gases to generate power, SBB understands.

The draft was submitted to the parliament’s environment committee yesterday. It will be voted on by the committee in mid-March and if approved, will be put before the European Parliament in early April, SBB is told.