Kommentar: Emissionshandel – wie Brüssel die Industrie erpresst
Die Idee der EU‑Kommission, kostenlose Zertifikate mit Investitionspflichten zu verbinden, ist systemwidrig. Vor allem folgt sie einer fatalen Fehleinschätzung.
The European emissions trading system imposes costs on industrial companies that are not or at least not comparable in magnitude elsewhere in the world. European enterprises, which should still have a chance to compete on the global market, therefore need a cost balance. Otherwise, they will close or relocate. The free allocation of CO₂ certificates, introduced with the emissions trading system in 2005, has been the means to increase the survival chances of the regulated companies.
However, the European Commission now seems to hold the view that the free allocation is a gift for which a counterpayment could be demanded. This is a mistaken assumption. The free allocation is not a gift; instead, it is based on specific benchmarks for certain processes, which in some cases are so stringent that they can only be met under laboratory conditions.
The fallback benchmarks, on the other hand, lead to untenable generalizations. German companies are aware of this, as their process heat generation plants must be measured against facilities in countries like Finland, where low-cost biomass can be burned. A solution is on the horizon, but it has not yet been made binding.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
