The EU has taken a major step towards implementing its emissions trading scheme (ETS), scheduled to begin in January 2005. On October 20, 2004, the European Commission (EC), the EU executive, gave a green signal to eight national allocation plans (NAPs) for regulating industrial emission of carbon dioxide. While the plans of Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovakia were accepted fully, those of France and Finland received conditional approval.

"The decision is another key step toward the start of the European emission trading scheme in less than 80 days,' EU environment commissioner Margot Wallstrom said. So far, 16 NAPs have been assessed. In July 2004, the EC had passed five NAPs unconditionally and given conditional approvals to another three (see Down To Earth, August 15, 2004). Greece is the only member of the 25-nation bloc that has not submitted its NAP.