Slovakia's government decided Wednesday to halt its legal challenge to a European Commission order to cut its carbon dioxide emissions after a compromise was reached, an official said.
The commission has agreed to increase Slovakia's carbon dioxide emissions quota from 30.9 to 32.6 million tonnes, according to the ministry of environment in Bratislava.
"We considered the 1.7 million (tonnes of carbon dioxide) as a compromise," said Peter Visvader, environment ministry spokesman.
The European Commission had at first slashed the emissions quota by about 25 percent to 30.9 million tonnes. Slovakia originally demanded an annual allocation of 41.3 million tonnes.
Slovakia had filed its legal challenge in February 2007, arguing the new quota was threatening economic growth and failed to take into account the fact that it must use more fossil fuel after two nuclear reactors at its western Jaslovske Bohunice plant were shut down.
Brussels is charged with approving national governments' bids for carbon dioxide allocations as part of the second stage of its move to curb emissions of one of the main gases held responsible for global climate change.
