EEX to begin 2019 EU carbon auctions from Jan. 7 - EEX

LONDON (Reuters) - EEX will start its 2019 auctions of European carbon permits on Jan. 7, the exchange said on Thursday.

The full schedule is subject to approval from the European Commission and EEX expects to publish this as soon as approval is given, it said in a emailed statement.

Participants of Europe's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) are awaiting news of next year's auctions and particularly for new of when Germany's auctions will restart.

"The auctions on behalf of Germany will presumably resume later in the course of Q1 2019," EEX said in the statement.

Germany, Europe's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, paused its near weekly auctions of permits from Nov. 9 while EEX awaits approval from European Commission to resume carrying out auctions on the country's behalf.

EEX also carries out joint auctions on behalf of 25 European Union member states and separate auctions for Poland, which opted to hold its own sales.

ICE hosts carbon auctions on behalf of Britain, which also opted to hold separate auctions.

The European Union's ETS charges power plants and factories for every tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) they emit and is Europe's flagship policy to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Edmund Blair)