The German Government welcomes the European Commission’s proposal for speedy and sustainable reform of the EU emissions trading scheme, but is pressing for further improvements. Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks: "With our position we are sending a clear signal for the debate on climate policy in the European Union. Germany wants to help ensure that the EU sets itself ambitious targets and takes decisive action to see that they are achieved."
The German Government does not want to wait until 2020, but would like the "market stability reserve" to be introduced during the present term of parliament. "We consider it necessary to launch the mechanism much earlier than 2020, in other words in 2017," says the German statement on the Commission’s proposal which has now been agreed between the ministries and is to be filed in Brussels. Moreover, it wants the 900 million allowances that the Commission proposes removing from the market by "backloading" to be transferred directly to the market stability reserve.
Furthermore, the German Government wants to ensure that companies do not relocate on climate action grounds ("carbon leakage"). Hendricks: "We don’t want to endanger the competitive position of German industry. We will therefore ensure that no German company is forced to move jobs abroad for climate reasons."
With this statement on the Commission’s proposal, says Hendricks, Germany is pushing ahead within the EU and once again underlining its leading role in climate policy. "With our Climate Action 2020 programme we will also ensure that greenhouse gas emissions in Germany are cut by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2020."