14 September 2011: EU Member States ave endorsed two draft agreements on the practical modalities for procuring the common auction platform and single auction monitor for phase 3 of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

The two joint procurement agreements set out how Member States and the European Commission will jointly conduct procurement procedures to appoint the common auction platform that will be used by 24 Member States and the single auction monitor that will monitor the auctions conducted on all auction platforms. The agreements pave the way for the tender documents for the two procurements to be drawn up. Following the signature of the joint procurement agreements, their entry into force and approval of the tender documents by the Member States, the Commission will launch the calls for tender on its own account and on behalf of the Member States towards the end of 2011, with a view to starting the auctions of emission allowances for phase 3 in the second half of 2012. [EU press release]