The Council of the European Union has published a corrigendum to Directive 2009/29/EC, which amended the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), correcting a linguistic error in the Slovak language version. The correction replaces the term "použitý základ" with "použitá referenčná hodnota" ("reference value used"), ensuring the Slovak text aligns with the intended meaning of the original legislation. This technical correction does not alter the substance of the directive, which improves and extends the EU's cap-and-trade scheme for greenhouse gas emissions under Directive 2003/87/EC.
Document Details
The corrigendum, dated 2 June 2026, is a legislative act issued by the Council. It is a mandatory correction to an existing legal text, with no new policy orientations or numerical targets. The correction is purely linguistic and does not affect the implementation or enforcement of the EU ETS.
Policy Context and Trade-offs
While this corrigendum is minor, it underscores the EU's commitment to legal clarity and uniform application of climate legislation across all official languages. The EU ETS is a cornerstone of the EU's climate policy, imposing a cap on emissions from heavy industry and power generation, with allowances traded among participants. The correction ensures that Slovak stakeholders—including regulators, companies, and legal professionals—interpret the directive correctly, avoiding potential disputes over compliance costs or allowance allocation.
Impact on Stakeholders
- EU regulatory bodies: No impact, as the correction does not change the directive's substance.
- National authorities of EU countries: Slovak authorities benefit from clearer legal text, reducing administrative burden in enforcement.
- EU producers (Slovak industry): Companies covered by the EU ETS in Slovakia gain legal certainty, avoiding misinterpretation of reference values used for benchmarking.
- EU consumers: No direct impact.
Institutional Follow-Up
No further institutional action is required. The corrigendum is effective upon publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. The European Commission and Member States will continue implementing the EU ETS as before.