(SOFIA) - Bulgaria wants to renegotiate its 2008-2012 carbon dioxide emissions quota set by the European Commission and may challenge it in court, Environment Minister Dzhevdet Chakarov said Wednesday.

"Bulgaria is seriously harmed by the European Commission's decision and will take every step possible to have it revised. If that doesn't happen, we will launch legal proceedings," Chakarov said.

The minister met with members of the Bulgarian Industrial Association on Wednesday to discuss the effects of the reduced carbon dioxide emissions quota, which the EU decided in March to slash by 34.4 percent to 42.3 million tonnes between 2008 and 2012.

Businesses agreed that slashing the quota would have negative economic effects and could lead to factory closures.

Chakarov said Bulgaria would argue that Brussels had failed to take into account its need to produce more electricity from coal-fired power plants after the closure of two units at its single nuclear power plant in Kozloduy at the end of last year.

But the spokeswoman for the EU's environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, told Bulgarian national radio that the carbon dioxide emissions quotas could not be renegotiated.

"These plans are binding by law and unless there is a mathematical error in the calculation, the Commission cannot and will not go back on its decision," Barbara Helfferich said.

Slovakia and the Czech republic have already launched lawsuits against their carbon dioxide emissions quotas and Hungary and Poland are similarly preparing to challenge theirs.

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