On 17 April 2008, Astrid Klug, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Environment Ministry, opened an international conference in Cluj, Romania on the implementation of the EU emissions trading scheme. The conference gives representatives of authorities and companies the opportunity to gather information on international and European climate protection mechanisms and to discuss national implementation in Romania. It is organised by the central environment authority of Romania and the regional environment authority of Cluj and supported by German-Romanian partnership projects that are active in the region.
In the sidelines of the conference Astrid Klug met with the Romanian State Secretary for Environment and Sustainable Development, Silviu Stoica, to exchange views on the climate and energy package proposed by the European Commission. The package includes an amendment to the EU emissions trading scheme, the definition of climate protection targets to be reached by the Member States by 2020 and an EU-wide provision for the expansion of renewable energies. "We welcome the proposal by the EU Commission for a revision of the Emissions Trading Directive as a key element of joint European climate protection policy", State Secretary Klug said.
Under the National Allocation Plan approved by the EU Commission, Romania will receive emission allowances equivalent to 75.9 million tonnes of CO2 for the period 2008-2012. Romania is taking legal action against this decision, since the allocated amount is 20% below Romania’s original proposal.
For many years, Germany and Romania have engaged in close cooperation in the field of environmental protection. This cooperation is underpinned by five joint European partnership ("twinning") projects and a range of bilateral measures in the areas of energy efficiency, management of structural funds, waste management and industrial environmental protection.