The European Commission (EC) would officially look at Bulgaria's arguments to have the greenhouse gas emissions quotas increased, a media statement by the Environment and Water Affairs Ministry said.

On October 26, the EC decided to reduce the quotas distributed in the two national plans for 2007 and for 2008-2012.

The consideration of Bulgaria's arguments had been negotiated during the November 22 technical consultations in Brussels between Bulgaria and the EC, carried out at the initiative of Bulgaria's Environment and Water Affairs Minister Djevdet Chakurov.

The decision of the consultations was that Bulgaria's arguments were important enough to be officially looked at by the EC. Bulgarian representatives considered this decision a success for Bulgaria.

Next week Bulgaria would have to put forward its arguments in writing, after which consideration would begin.

Bulgaria's main motivation to initiate the consultations was that the consequences of the EC decision to reduce greenhouse gas emission quotas would have a negative impact on Bulgarian economic growth and could lead to a reconsideration of its policy towards participation in the Kyoto Protocol flexible mechanisms, the media statement said.

On the initiative of Minister Chakurov the Bulgarian standpoint had been prepared by experts from the Environment and Water Affairs Ministry and the Economy and Energy Ministry with participation of representatives from different business organisations.

The Bulgarian point of view, expressed repeatedly by Chakurov, remained unaltered and Bulgaria would strive to undo the reductions, including by a court procedure.