UK no to ‘carbon fee’

LONDON: Britain warned yesterday that it would oppose EU moves to impose a “carbon fee” on imports from high-polluting nations such as the US and China.
European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso raised the prospect on Monday night that exporters in countries with lax emission controls could be required to buy EU carbon allowances if they want to trade in Europe.
The move was designed to ensure that firms in the EU where climate change controls are tighter – were not put at a competitive disadvantage.
The proposal had caused anger in Washington, where the White House had already described it as a tariff barrier and warned that it would resist it.
Energy minister Malcolm Wicks, interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, also expressed concern about the plan.
“We are against any measures which might look like trade barriers,” he said. – PA