Nine member states, including newcomers Bulgaria and Romania, have sued the EU Commission regarding the allocated CO2 trading scheme, but Brussels is almost certain that it would win the case, EUexpands reported, citing insiders.

The trading scheme is the EU's instrument to fight global warming and respect the Kyoto Protocol, setting limits on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) that industry may emit.

Days before the end of last year, Bulgaria lodged an appeal with the European Court of Justice against the decision of the European Commission to cut on the country's greenhouse emissions for 2008-2012 by 37%.

According to the Bulgarian environment ministry, the new quota is not correctly calculated and the EC has not taken in mind the closing of unit 3 and 4 of Bulgaria's nuclear power plant Kozloduy, which will make CO2 producing thermal power plants work at full capacity.

Bulgaria and Romania, which joined the European Commission at the beginning of last year, were the countries that have introduced the most recent complaint for the allocation of their national quota.

Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Slovakia have done the same previously.

In October 2007, Brussels has cut on Bulgaria's greenhouse emissions for 2008-2012 by 37% and on Romania's by 20,7%.

A EU Commission source explained for EUexpands that Brussels has not yet received the notification for the Romanian or the Bulgarian lawsuit but it expressed the confidence that it would win the case.

The Commission is convinced that it assessed the national allocation plans in a fair and consistent manner and that it treated all member states equally, the article commented.

If necessary, the Commission will defend its decision in the European Court of Justice and is confident that it will prevail, the same source explained.

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