EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU lawmakers have voted to give a break to industries that use large amounts of energy to make their products by letting them receive most of their carbon emissions permits for free, instead of having to purchase them like other sectors of the European economy. MEPs took the step during a marathon session in the European Parliament's environment committee - a day dubbed "Green Super Tuesday" by environmental groups - ploughing through discussion of three major laws that make up part of the EU's overall climate package aimed at tackling global warming. MEPs want ETS money ring-fenced for climate-related purposes Out of fear that energy-intensive industries such as cement, paper, steel and chemicals would no longer be competitive against companies producing the same items outside the EU emissions trading scheme - the so called "carbon leakage" effect - the environment committee voted to back a phase-in of auctions for pollution permits.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU lawmakers have voted to give a break to industries that use large amounts of energy to make their products by letting them receive most of their carbon emissions permits for free, instead of having to purchase them like other sectors of the European economy.
MEPs took the step during a marathon session in the European Parliament's environment committee - a day dubbed "Green Super Tuesday" by environmental groups - ploughing through discussion of three major laws that make up part of the EU's overall climate package aimed at tackling global warming.
MEPs want ETS money ring-fenced for climate-related purposes
Out of fear that energy-intensive industries such as cement, paper, steel and chemicals would no longer be competitive against companies producing the same items outside the EU emissions trading scheme - the so called "carbon leakage" effect - the environment committee voted to back a phase-in of auctions for pollution permits.
