Lithuania to take EU to court over CO<sub>2</sub> cut

Lithuania's government said yesterday it took a formal decision to take the European Commission (EC) to the European Court of Justice over carbon dioxide emission allowances. It became the seventh eastern European nation to take legal action against...

Lithuania's government said yesterday it took a formal decision to take the European Commission (EC) to the European Court of Justice over carbon dioxide emission allowances.

It became the seventh eastern European nation to take legal action against the EU executive, after the EC halved its original plan of 16.6 million tonnes to 8.8 million tonnes.

"We will need another two million tonnes of CO2 allowance more because of Ignalina nuclear power plant closure in 2009," environment minister Arunas Kundrotas said.

Lithuania was seeking now a CO2 allowance of 11.2 million tonnes, he added. Lithuania has said it will have to produce more electricity from fossil fuel plants, a major source of pollution, after the closure of its remaining Soviet-built nuclear reactor.

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