The signatories tabled an amendment to introduce an emission limit of 350 grams CO₂ per kilowatt-hour electricity produced for any new power plants being permitted from now onwards.

This would effectively ban any coal-fired power plants and older (single-cycle) gas-fired power plants without CO₂ capture and storage (CCS). The limit, however, would only be applicable from 2020 in order to give time to plants to install CCS after the technology is expected to be proven by 2015. The limit would be introduced for existing power plants from 2025.

The amendments are being voted on in the European Parliament plenary session on March 12th. The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering can still rule the amendments inadmissible before the plenary vote.

However, it will be less legitimate to block the amendments now that they have mustered strong support amongst MEPs.

The amendments were drafted by Bellona Europa together with other NGOs and Members of European Parliament. The emission performance standard was also discussed in a Parliamentary hearing in the European Parliament this week.