The revised directive establishes auctioning from 2013 in principle (as proposed by the Commission and backed by the Environment Committee) but it includes several exceptions, as advocated by the European Council on 12 December 2008.
Emisiju tirdzniecības shēma ierobežo kopējo emisiju daudzumu visā ES, un tās robežās emisiju shēmas dalībnieces (ražotnes) var pirkt un pārdot tām piešķirtās emisiju kvotas.