The EU Commission approved Germany’s allocation of emissions allowances as per the national allocation table of 2005-2007 on 10 March 2005. In so doing the Commission has also enabled the technical connection of the German registry to the European central registry CITL (Community Independent Transaction Log). The German Emissions Trading Authority at the Federal Environment Agency (DEHSt) can now begin to set up accounts in the registry and issue the first tranche of emissions allowances for 2005 (one third of the allowances for the 2005-2007 trading period.

There were no objections raised to the national allocation table submitted to the EU Commission on 28 February 2005. The 1,485 billion emissions allowances available in Germany can now be issued to existing installations during the next three years as planned. A total of 11,779,278 emissions allowances are intended for the national reserve.

Installation operators who meet the legal requirements to open an account will receive their password information from DEHSt in the next few days. Interested private individuals and organizations, e.g. stockbrokers and environmental associations, may also apply to open a person holding account in the emissions trading registry.

Of the 25 countries participating in European emissions trading, Germany is one of the first to take up active emissions allowances trading. The legal foundation for the launch of emissions trading was laid by the allocation of emissions allowances to the 1,849 German installations in December 2004.