Reports from Prague suggest that the submission of its national allocation plan (NAP) for phase II of the EU's emissions trading scheme (ETS) will be delayed.

The CTK news agency reports that the submission to Brussels will be delayed until a new environment minister is appointed in the wake of the recent elections in the Czech Republic, which failed to produce a clear majority. The current environment minister, Libor Ambrozek, says that while the draft NAP has been compiled, it will not be sent because of the political ramifications for the incoming administration.

The method and the scheme of the division of emission credits as well as the number of credits to be distributed have been prepared, but it is a political decision to a certain extent. I would not like to do anything that my successor would not be able to defend, Mr Ambrozek told CTK.

Czech industry is currently permitted to emit 97 million tons of CO2 under the ETS, and trading in emissions credits began in January 2006. However the EU is likely to force a clampdown on these levels for the 2008-12 period covered by phase II of ETS.