Czech carbon registry closed indefinitely

PRAGUE (Reuters) - The Czech carbon registry will remain closed for an indefinite period of time after data of account holders was manipulated and EU allowances vanished, the official who runs the registry said on Thursday.

Miroslav Rehor, who runs the registry for Czech market operator OTE, told Reuters more than one account holder was affected by what he described a likely hacker attack.

"We don't see a time when the registry will be open again because the attack was very serious and the situation is quite complex now," he said in a telephone interview.

"Somebody definitely manipulated the data in the registry of other account users. It was probably a hacker."

The European Union, seeking to protect the battered reputation of the EU's main weapon against climate change, froze spot trade in its carbon market for a week on Wednesday after the Czech security breach.

The decision followed the theft of at least 7 million euros of emissions permits from the Czech Republic's carbon registry. It allowed trade in derivative markets to continue.

(Reporting by Michael Kahn; editing by James Jukwey)