Five European carbon registries can reopen Friday, as the EC has finalized its review of the first reports from EU ETS national registries about the adequacy of security measures following the theft of millions of EUAs from the Czech Republic and other countries by computer hackers. But the Czech OTE will remain closed for weeks to come and has asked the EC DG Climate Action to reconsider opening registries in the UK and Germany as doing so ‘threatens’ the ongoing police investigation.

Electricity market operator OTE — the company running the Czech carbon emission registry that was hacked by thieves last week, causing the European Commission to halt trading at 30 registries throughout Europe — announced late Thursday it would be not resume spot-market trading of emissions allowances for at least six more weeks. The move followed news earlier in the day that ČEZ had 700,000 EUAs worth some €10 million stolen from its account.

International law firm White & Case added a new partner at the beginning of the year. Eva Svobodová specializes in capital markets. She joined the firm in 2005 and has becomeanexpert in capital markets and collective investment both on the domestic and foreign markets.

ČEZ Group has acquired a 100 percent stake in TMK Hydroenergy Power, which operates hydroelectric plants in Romania with a total of 18 MW in installed power output. The acquisition is in line with the Czech state-controlled energy group’s long-term policy toward renewable energy. Earlier this week, ČEZ announced it was leaving a much larger nuclear deal in Romania.