25/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Energy Committee rejects postponement of carbon quotas. On 24 January 2013, the European Parliament's energy committee rejected the idea of postponing the auctioning of greenhouse gas emissions quotas for the third phase of the ETC carbon trading scheme, voting by 42 to 18 against an amendment calling for a rejection of the European Commission's suggestion. Despite the vote in favour of his report (by 32 to 14, with 11 abstentions), Spain's Francisco Sosa Wagner (non-attached) expressed disappointment with the vote and called for his name to be removed from the draft opinion to be sent to the environment committee. On 24 January, the environment committee discussed the amendments to the European Commission's draft changes to the ETS Directive 2003/87/EC. It will be voting on 19 February (see EUROPE 10771). (EH/transl.fl)