Berlin pushes for a €60 minimum price on EU carbon markets

(EurActiv, 16 May 2022) Discounting allegations of speculation on the EU carbon market, Berlin is throwing its weight behind a minimum price of €60 per tonne of CO2, saying it will ensure this through national measures if the EU does not take action.

After prices on the EU carbon market soared in 2021, EU capitals are now seizing the chance for reform as discussions in Brussels continue over the proposed revision of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) directive.

Many governments are unhappy with the rapid rise of carbon prices, which they accuse of pushing up the cost of electricity.

Among the critics, Poland is pushing for “a profound reform of the ETS system, which will take into account the current situation on the energy market.”

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki even spoke of a “speculative bubble,” a position supported by Spain, Hungary and other Eastern EU governments who fear a voter backlash in the face of rising prices.

Minimum price

Undeterred by critics, the German government, on the other hand, wants to ensure prices are kept high enough to encourage private investments in low-carbon technologies.

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EurActiv, 16 May 2022: Berlin pushes for a €60 minimum price on EU carbon markets