RPT-Slovak president vetoes tax on CO2 permits sale

                                
 (Repeats story from Friday)
                                
 BRATISLAVA, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Slovak President Ivan
Gasparovic turned down on Friday an 80 percent tax on revenue
from the sale of carbon dioxide emission permits, asking the
parliament to adjust the bill and delay its introduction.
                                
 The government of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova proposed to
tax firms that were given free permits last month, traded within
the European Union's ETS scheme, in the past above what the
government saw as an appropriate amount.
                                
 The parliament approved the bill, expected to raise 150
million euro ($199.7 million) in the coming two years from the
tax, earlier this month. The legislation was designed to enter
into force in January, but Gasparovic proposed March instead.
                                
 The finance ministry's table showed that over-allocation for
the Slovak unit of U.S. Steel <X.N> in 2009 was 43 percent,
calculated as a ratio between emitted carbon dioxide and given
CO2 permits, seen worth 42.6 million euros.
                                
 The excess amount of power company Slovenske Eletrarne, a
unit of Italy's utility Enel <ENEI.MI>, was 62 percent in 2009,
and it had an estimated windfall of 27.1 million profit.
                                
 Refinery Slovnaft, the Slovak unit of Hungary's MOL
<MOLB.BU>, was given 78 percent more permits than it needed in
2009, with a value of 14.1 million euros.
                                
 The parliament is expected to debate the bill again to
overturn the president's veto next week.
 (Reporting by Martin Santa; editing by James Jukwey)