Germany Backs Down, Will Accept EU-Imposed CO2 Cap - Reuters

BERLIN/BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Germany on Friday caved in on a deadlock with Brussels over its greenhouse gas emissions from 2008-12 under the bloc's carbon market, saying it would not challenge a Brussels-imposed cap.

Brussels demanded in November a carbon emissions limit for Germany's industry some 6 percent tighter than the country's initially proposed limit. Stalemate had threatened to embarrass Europe's biggest polluter, which has said it wants to make climate change a centrepiece of its presidencies of the European Union and the G8.

It caved in on Friday on the Brussels ruling on its emissions cap, but said it had scored some undisclosed successes in return.

"We were able to push through several of our points but on the upper level of the quotas there was no change," spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm said at a government news conference. "Germany will not appeal against the European Commission carbon dioxide emissions cap," he added.

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