The German Emission Allowance Trading Authority (DEHSt) at the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has signed a cooperation agreement with the French Caisse des Dépôt et Consignations bank to use the Seringas registry software system. This will allow German and French companies to use the same system of registration of emissions allowances. The software is the basis of the German emissions trading registry at DEHSt and is to be maintained and developed jointly with the French company. It will be translated into German by the end of this year, and user navigation and layout will be adapted to the DEHSt web site layout. The software is another of the electronic applications at DEHSt which embodies the BundOnline2005 principle.

The emissions trading registry located at the DEHSt within UBA acts as an electronic logbook that records ownership of emissions allowances. A seller must first transfer emissions allowances to the buyer’s account before he can sell them. They become the buyer’s property upon completed transfer of the allowances. The user will find the emissions trading registry similar to online banking, for he can log onto the system, check account balances, and make transactions. There are plans to create an interface to support exchanges and trading platforms in order to make automatic transfer of allowances possible. This provides the parties in Germany involved in emissions trading with an important tool for carrying out transactions.

The French registry software Seringas and the British GRETA software are among the few thoroughly tested applications that are available worldwide. Seringas is already in use in a voluntary initiative started by French industry, which is one of the reasons the DEHSt opted for the French software product. Operation of the German emissions trading registry is due to begin along with emissions trading on 01.01.2005.