20 November 2008 - Poland has rejected a proposal of the European Union's French presidency whereby half of carbon dioxide emission permits in the power sector could be handed out for free by 2015.

"This proposal solves no problem," head of the Polish Office of the European Integration Committee Mikolaj Dowgielewicz said.

"Poland's government goal is to reduce costs of the climate package, in other words to reduce electricity price rises," Dowgielewicz was quoted by Polish news agency PAP as saying.

Poland proposed the gradual introduction of the full auctioning of carbon dioxide emission permits by 2020 while the EU set full carbon dioxide auctioning as of 2013.

Under the French presidency proposal for Poland and other central and eastern European countries dependent on coal, half of carbon dioxide emission permits in the power sector could be handed out for free by 2015. The remaining part will be auctioned off. In 2016 all permits will have to be auctioned.