Retningslinjer for statsstøtte knyttet til kvotehandelsordningen for drivhusgasser etter 2012

Ansvarlig departement: Fornyings-, administrasjons- og kirkedepartementet

Sakstype: Retningslinjer

Behandlende organ: Kommisjonen: forbereder nye forslag (konsulterer)

Saksområde: Konkurranse og statsstøtte: retningslinjer for statsstøtte (EFTAs overvåkingsorgan)

BAKGRUNN (fra Kommisjonens pressemelding 21.12.2011, engelsk utgave)

Commission publishes draft State aid rules related to EU Emissions Trading Scheme for 2013-2020
The European Commission has published a draft set of temporary measures aimed at enabling Member States to compensate under EU state aid rules for the risk of carbon leakage as defined in the new Directive on the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) for the period 2013-2020. ‘Carbon leakage’ describes the prospect of an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions when companies shift production outside the EU because they cannot pass on the cost increases induced by the EU ETS to their customers without a significant loss of market share or profits. Based on the available facts and on input from a public consultation, the Commission has identified a small number of sectors that are at significant risk of carbon leakage as a result of increased CO2 costs in electricity prices. These sectors should be able to receive compensation that is limited to the minimum necessary. The Commission proposal aims at balancing three objectives: to prevent a significant risk of carbon leakage due to the increase of CO2 costs in the electricity prices, to preserve the price signals created by the EU ETS to achieve cost-effective decarbonisation and to minimise competition distortions in the internal market by avoiding subsidy races within the EU at a time of economic uncertainty and budgetary discipline. The draft also contains proposals on Investment aid for highly efficient power plants, including new power plants which are ready for the environmentally safe capture and geological storage of CO2 (CCS-ready) and on certain derogations from the auctioning principle for the power sector in some new Member States and corresponding investments for the modernisation of electricity generation. The Commission and the Member States will discuss the draft rules in January 2012. The final rules are expected to be adopted during the first quarter of 2012.

The draft rules are available at: http://ec.europa.eu/competition/consultations/2012_emissions_trading/ind...