EU to Seek Overhaul of System To Regulate Emissions Trading
BRUSSELS -- The European Commission said it will propose an overhaul of its emissions-trading system next year to include more polluting gases, make airlines accountable for emissions and focus on how to capture and store carbon dioxide.
An overhaul should "fine-tune" the system and make it more attractive for other countries to adopt, said Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for European Union Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
As part of the revision, Brussels will propose including gases such as methane from coal mines and nitrous oxide from ammonia production in Europe's measurement of emissions. It will also push for airlines, which have so far been exempt from emissions limits, to be subject to the trading system.
Under the EU's existing program, polluters in a number of industries such as oil refining, power generation and steelmaking are granted the right to emit a set amount of carbon dioxide. Companies can either buy permits that allow them to emit more than that, or sell allowances if they have reduced their emissions. Emissions credits are traded on an open market and are partially linked to projects to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions.
The program has come under fire because of fluctuating carbon prices and governments setting generous caps to protect national industries from fees.
But Brussels is in discussions with Iceland, Norway and the U.S. state of California among others that are interested in adopting the system, Ms. Helfferich said.
The commission says emissions trading is the best way to reduce rapidly rising emissions from airplanes. While the EU's total greenhouse-gas emissions fell 3% between 1990 and 2002, emissions from international aviation increased almost 70%. Moreover, environmental groups say planes flying at high altitudes cause more harmful air pollution than emissions from cars.
欧盟希望改革其温室气体交易体系
欧盟委员会(European Commission)表示，它将建议明年对其温室气体交易体系作大规模改革，以便将更多会造成污染的有害气体包括进这一体系，使航空公司开始对温室气体排放承担责任，并将致力于寻找收集和储存二氧化碳的方法。
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欧盟环境委员斯塔夫罗?迪马斯(Stavros Dimas)的发言人巴巴拉?贺尔菲里奇(Barbara Helfferich)说，此次改革应该使这一体系获得“微调”，并使其更能吸引其他国家参与。
作为这一调整的一部分，欧盟委员将建议欧洲在计算温室气体时将煤矿中排出的甲烷以及制氨过程中产生的一氧化二氮都包括进去。欧盟委员会还将努力把航空业也纳入这一交易体系，目前在温室气体排放方面对各航空公司没有限制。
根据欧盟的规定，炼油、发电和钢铁等众多行业的排污企业都可以排放一定数量的二氧化碳。企业可以去购买温室气体排放指标以便能够排放更多的二氧化碳，也可以将用不了的排放指标卖给他人。温室气体排放指标可以在一个公开市场上交易，这些指标都与各种二氧化碳减排项目有或多或少的联系。
由于二氧化碳排放指标价格起伏不定，再加上各国政府为了减轻本国企业的排污费负担都把二氧化碳排放指标定得很高，因此欧盟的这一规定饱受各方的指责。
贺尔菲里奇说，欧盟委员会正与冰岛、挪威和美国加州等有兴趣采纳这一交易体系的各方举行谈判。
欧盟委员会称，温室气体交易体系是遏止飞机所排温室气体迅速增长的最佳途径。虽然在1990年至2002年期间欧盟的温室气体排放总量下降了3%，但国际航空业的温室气体排放量却增长了近70%。而环境保护组织则声称，在高空飞行的飞机所造成的空气污染比汽车尾气造成的空气污染还要大。他们说低成本航空公司的快速发展加重了这一问题。
欧盟各航空公司表示，虽然允许交易温室气体排放指标比征收燃油税的做法要好，但它们担心给飞机尾气排放制定指标后，欧洲的航空公司在与没有这一指标负担的航空公司竞争时将处于不利地位。欧盟各成员国的财政部长在讨论后已放弃了征收燃油税的想法。
Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck
