Market operator ICE Futures Europe is introducing a monthly trading fee rebate for most of its screen-traded EU emissions contracts in a bit to attract new participants and boost liquidity.

New exchange members can sign up to the programme between Sept. 1 and Dec. 31, ICE said in a circular.

New members will then be charged just €1.50 per contract (1,000 tonnes) traded and cleared for a period of six months from the date the member’s application is approved.

The programme, which will be re-evaluated for possible one-year extension at the end of the year, applies to screen-traded EUA, CER and EUAA futures contracts, and to screen-traded EUA and CER daily futures (spot) contracts.

“It will be open to new ICE Futures Europe members with an Emissions Trading Privilege (ETP), or to existing ICE Futures Europe members with an ETP who have not yet been rebated under the existing ICE Members Screen Futures Tiered Rebate Programme,” ICE said.

“Market participants who are not ICE Futures Europe Members with an ETP are invited to become Members in order to qualify for these rebates. Members with an ETP are charged a discounted rate per contract of €3.50 rather than €4.00, and are eligible for the ICE Emissions Members Rebate Programmes.”

To read the ICE circular, click here.

The announcement comes a day after ICE said it would waive some fees for its members trading time spreads involving the bourse’s daily EUA futures.

Rival exchange EEX earlier this year introduced its own programmes to attempt to steal market share back from ICE.

By Mike Szabo – mike@carbon-pulse.com