POLAND SUES EU OVER CO2 LIMITS

UNCLAS WARSAW 001279 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/NCE, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI, OES/GC, OES/STC, OES/ENV, OES/PCI, G, EB/ESC, EUR/PPD EUR/NCE FOR DKOSTELANCIK, BPUTNEY EUR/PPD FOR MJ BUSHNAQ WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ DAVE BANKS PASS TO USTR FOR WMOORE COMMERCE FOR 4232/ITA/MAC/EUR/JBURGESS, JKIMBALL, MWILSON COMMERCE FOR SHANNON FRASER DOE FOR LEKIMOFF, MGINSBERG, GKERESTES EPA FOR APHILLIPS, KBUCKLEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON SENV EINV ETRD PL SUBJECT: POLAND SUES EU OVER CO2 LIMITS REF: WARSAW 1179 (U) On May 25, Poland filed a protest with the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against the EU regarding the limits imposed on CO2 emissions for Poland under the European Emissions Trading Scheme. This move comes as a surprise, as Polish Emissions Trading Officials previously told Econoff (reftel) that they would not/not file such a claim. Although it is unclear what changed the GOP,s decision, the protest claims that the EU used growth projections from when Poland joined the EU in 2004 to calculate emissions allocations, and Poland,s growth has far exceeded those rates. Therefore, the GOP believes that Poland deserves a higher allocation to allow for its increased growth. It is asking for 284 million tons of CO2, while the EU allocated 208.5 million tons. Poland is the second of the EU Member States to file such a protest, the Czech Republic filed one almost immediately after the new allocations were announced. ASHE