Two rival parliamentary committees are battling for control of the post-2020 ETS reform proposal and it could result in the dossier being split between them, according to a senior parliamentary source.

The tussle could result in the environment committee (ENVI) being responsible for drafting any changes to elements of the proposal related to carbon leakage, while the industry committee (ITRE) could handle the section on the innovation and modernisation funds.

“I don’t think ENVI will give up carbon leakage easily, (but) a possible outcome would be for ITRE to have compentence on the funds,” the source said.

The source added that the matter could be settled at the Conference of Presidents, a bi-monthly meeting of the chairman of the political groupings.

Both committees are cross-party, with a proportion of MEPs reflecting the overall composition of the 751-strong assembly, but ENVI has a record of favouring more ambitious climate policies and has been the lead committee responsible for the entire MSR and Backloading proposals.

Any amendments will ultimately be voted on by the entire parliament and also require agreement with a majority of the EU Council of member states and the European Commission, in a process likely to be settled by the end of 2016 at the earliest.

ENVI is due to hold its first meeting on the file on Feb. 18-19, while ITRE is planning to hold its first hearing on Dec. 1.

The rapporteurs steering the file in both committees – ENVI has the UK’s Ian Duncan of centre-right ECR and ITRE has Sweden’s Fredrick Federley of the liberal ALDE group – have both said they would not start tackling the bill’s text until after the December UN climate summit in Paris.

By Ben Garside – ben@carbon-pulse.com