Radio Slovakia International

Pulling Out of Emission Quotas Deal an Option

rsi

Prime Minister Robert Fico views a withdrawal from the contract on the sale of Slovakia’s emission quotas to the Interblue Group as one of possible solutions, the Government’s spokesperson Silvia Glendova said on Monday. She was responding in the wake of a criminal complaint filed by Opposition MP Lucia Zitnanska over the deal. Zitnanska turned to the Prosecutor-General’s Office requesting an investigation into Slovakia’s sale of greenhouse-gas emission quotas based on suspicions of the criminal abuse of public office. Under an agreement signed by the ministry, which has been blasted by the Opposition for securing unfavorable terms for Slovakia, the country last year sold 15 million tones of emissions at around 5 € per ton to U.S. firm the Interblue Group. Opposition leaders charge that this was far cheaper than trades negotiated by other countries such as Hungary and the Czech Republic. In addition, questions have been raised about the Interblue Group, which was set up only shortly before the transaction. Unfavorable terms, argued Zitnanska, are also evident from the fact that Prime Minister Robert Fico last week ordered ENVIRONMENT Minister Viliam Tursky to stop implementing the agreement with the Interblue Group by all means possible.