COMMISSION DECISION

of 4 March 2021

instructing the central administrator to enter changes to the national allocation tables of Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal into the European Union Transaction Log

(2021/C 159/01)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (1),

Having regard to Commission Regulation (EU) No 389/2013 of 2 May 2013 establishing a Union Registry pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Decisions No 280/2004/EC and No 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EU) No 920/2010 and (EU) No 1193/2011 (2), and in particular the second subparagraph of Article 52(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) On 27 April 2011, the Commission adopted Decision 2011/278/EU (3) determining transitional Union-wide rules for harmonised free allocation of emission allowances pursuant to Article 10a of Directive 2003/87/EC. Pursuant to Article 27 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/331 (4), Decision 2011/278/EU continues to apply to allocations relating to the period prior to 1 January 2021. All notified allocations referred to in the present decision relate to the free allocation of emission allowances for the period from 2013 to 2020.

(2) On 5 September 2013, the Commission adopted Decision 2013/448/EU (5) concerning national implementation measures for the transitional free allocation of greenhouse gas emission allowances for the period 2013-2020.

(3) By Decision 2014/9/EU (6), the Commission amended Decisions 2010/2/EU (7) and 2011/278/EU as regards the list of sectors and subsectors which are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage (hereinafter ‘carbon leakage list’).

(4) By Decisions C(2013) 9281 (8), C(2014) 123 (9), C(2014) 674 (10) and C(2014) 1167 (11), the Commission instructed the central administrator to enter the national allocation tables and the revised national allocation tables of Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden into the European Union Transaction Log.

(5) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Bulgaria notified to the Commission, by letter dated 21 December 2020, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants.

(6) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Germany notified to the Commission, by letters dated 17 December 2020, 22 January 2021, 25 January 2021 and 26 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants and changes due to significant capacity reductions, partial cessations, subsequent recovery of activity levels as well as amendments to the carbon leakage list.

(7) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Spain notified to the Commission, by letter dated 21 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants and changes due to significant capacity reductions, partial cessations, subsequent recovery of activity levels as well as amendments to the carbon leakage list.

(8) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Italy notified to the Commission, by letter dated 19 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants and changes due to significant capacity reductions, partial cessations, subsequent recovery of activity levels as well as amendments to the carbon leakage list.

(9) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Cyprus notified to the Commission, by letter dated 18 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants.

(10) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Hungary notified to the Commission, by letters dated 14 January 2021 and 22 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants.

(11) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, the Netherlands notified to the Commission, by letter dated 28 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants.

(12) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Poland notified to the Commission, by letters dated 21 December 2020 and 01 February 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants.

(13) Pursuant to the first subparagraph of Article 52(2) of Regulation (EU) No 389/2013, Portugal notified to the Commission, by letters dated 11 January 2021 and 25 January 2021, changes to its national allocation table to provide free allocation of emission allowances to new entrants.

(14) The Commission finds that the notified changes to the national allocation tables of Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal are in conformity with Decision 2011/278/EU. The central administrator should therefore be instructed to enter those changes into the European Union Transaction Log,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article The central administrator shall enter the changes to the national allocation tables of Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Portugal set out in Annexes I to IX respectively into the European Union Transaction Log.

Done at Brussels, 4 March 2021. For the Commission Frans TIMMERMANS Executive Vice-President

(1) OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32.

(2) OJ L 122, 3.5.2013, p. 1.

(3) Commission Decision 2011/278/EU of 27 April 2011 determining transitional Union-wide rules for harmonised free allocation of emission allowances pursuant to Article 10a of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 130, 17.5.2011, p. 1).

(4) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/331 of 19 December 2018 determining transitional Union-wide rules for harmonised free allocation of emission allowances pursuant to Article 10a of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 59, 27.2.2019, p. 8).

(5) Commission Decision 2013/448/EU of 5 September 2013 concerning national implementation measures for the transitional free allocation of greenhouse gas emission allowances in accordance with Article 11(3) of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 240, 7.9.2013, p. 27).

(6) Commission Decision 2014/9/EU of 18 December 2013 amending Decisions 2010/2/EU and 2011/278/EU as regards the sectors and subsectors which are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage (OJ L 9, 14.1.2014, p. 9).

(7) Commission Decision 2010/2/EU of 24 December 2009 determining, pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, a list of sectors and subsectors which are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage (OJ L 1, 5.1.2010, p.10).

(8) Commission Decision C(2013) 9281 of 18 December 2013 on instructing the central administrator to enter the national allocation tables of Austria, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom into the European Union Transaction Log.

(9) Commission Decision C(2014) 123 of 17 January 2014 on instructing the central administrator to enter the national allocation tables of the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Hungary and Slovakia into the European Union Transaction Log.

(10) Commission Decision C(2014) 674 of 12 February 2014 on instructing the central administrator to enter the national allocation tables of Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Luxemburg, Slovenia and Finland into the European Union Transaction Log.

(11) Commission Decision C(2014) 1167 of 26 February 2014 on instructing the central administrator to enter the national allocation tables of Bulgaria, Spain, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom into the European Union Transaction Log.