Ireland prepares to play dealmaker on EU’s biggest climate fight of the year

(Ben Makuch – Politico) The European Union’s most important climate policy is up for review this summer, and Ireland must be the go-between in a major ideological contest among member countries. The European Commission will release a closely watched review of the Emissions Trading System in mid-July, barely two weeks into Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the EU. Months of arguing will follow among member countries over how far to water down the 20-year-old policy, a cap-and-trade scheme designed to reduce the emissions of the EU’s most polluting industries by making them pay for each ton of carbon they emit. – Ireland prepares to play dealmaker on EU’s biggest climate fight of the year – POLITICO