The Government approved a draft emergency ordinance establishing a state aid scheme to support industrial consumers in 15 areas through CO2 emission certificates, Minister of Economy, Energy, and the Business Environment Virgil Popescu said on Friday.

"The Emergency Ordinance on the amendment of Ordinance 115 of the Environmental Fund [GEO 115/2011] and the establishment of a state aid scheme (...) has been approved today. Basically, it is divided into two parts - a part allocates the money by percentage from the Environmental Fund, 29pct goes to the state budget, 50pct goes to projects of the Environmental Fund, and 15pct to the 15 industrial sectors approved by the European Commission. The industry of these sectors will be helped by 15pct of the value of the CO2 certificates that will be sold and the money will be collected in the Environmental Fund, and 6pct of the this budget will go to CO2 emission reduction projects, which will be approved by order of the Minister of Economy, Energy, and the Business Environment, carried out through the Environmental Fund," Popescu told a press conference at the end of the Government meeting.

The minister explained that, through the normative act, the Government also helps the industry in the 15 sectors and creates the premises for future collaborations to reduce CO2 emissions.

"I think it is a good thing, we risk the relocation of the industries in these sectors. I think we are able to support these industries and we manage to maintain jobs in Romania, which is very important, and to increase the competitiveness of the Romanian industry," said Popescu. AGERPRES (RO - author: Daniel Florea, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Bogdan Gabaroi, editor: Simona Iacob)