COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM(92) 181 final 
ANNULE ET REHPLACE LE 
DOC. SEC (92) 854 final Brussels, 1 June 1992 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
for n •onltorlnn ^h.r,!^ ftf flfflmmHy ffl^ 
and other greenhouse g»» MIMIAM 
(presented by the Commission) 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
The European Counc 11 held in Dub 11 n on June 1990 recognized the 
global dimension of the greenhouse effect and urged all countries to 
adopt as soon as possible targets and strategies for limiting 
emissions of greenhouse gases. 
2. The Joint Council of Energy and Environment Ministers agreed at their 
meeting on 29 October 1990 to take actions aiming at reaching 
stabilization of total C02 emissions by the year 2000 at 1990 
I eve Is. 
3. The Commission's communication on "A Community Strategy to Limit 
Carbon Dioxide emissions and to improve energy efficiency" of 14 
October 1991 recognized that a moni tor ino mechanism should be set up 
to follow whether the C02 stabilization target of the Community is 
being reached. 
4. In this context the Joint Council of Energy and Environment Ministers 
agreed at their meeting of 13 December 1991 that it is necessary, 
within the Community strategy, to formulate national programmes 
including strategies and targets for limiting their C02 emissions 
as well as national programmes for limiting other greenhouse gases 
emissions. 
In addition the Commission is required by the Council to make an 
assessment of national action taken as a whole in relation to the 
overall Community stabilization objective. 
5. On the basis of the expressed political commitments, the Commission 
submits this proposal for a Decision for a monitoring mechanism of 
Community C02 and progressively other greenhouse gas emissions. 
The main purpose of this proposal is to ensure at Community level as 
appropriate the achievement of the stabilization of C02 emissions 
by the year 2000 at their 1990 level and the limitation of other 
greenhouse gas emissions. This will be done through the evaluation 
of Community and national actions. 
The proposal is based on four key elements; the national programmes 
that should be drawn up by the Member States-, their evaluat ion by the 
Commission in the light of the EC stabilization agreement; the 
follow-up of the national programme implementation through a data 
reporting system and the establishment of an inventory concerning 
greenhouse gas emissions; and taking into account the equitable 
burden shar ing. 
Apart from that the proposal has a special provision for the setting-
up of a Consultative Committee of Member States representatives. 
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THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard^to the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, and in particular Article 130s thereof. 
Having regard to the proposal of the Commission. 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliaments ) 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee.( ) 
Whereas the 1973<1>, 1977<2>, 1983<3> European Communities 
action programmes on the environment stress the importance of the 
reduction and prevention of atmospheric pollution, and in addition 
the 1987<4) action programme emphasizes the importance for 
Community action to concentrate as a priority on the reduction at 
source of air pollution; 
Whereas the Council Resolution of 16 September 1986(5) calls for a 
search for balanced solutions as regards energy and the 
env i ronment; 
Whereas the European Council of 21 June 1989(6) declares that the 
Community and its Member States should take proper account in 
future policy decision of the problem of potential climatic change 
linked to the greenhouse effect; 
Whereas the European Council held at Dublin in June 1990 urged for 
the adoption as soon as possible of targets and strategies for 
limiting emissions of greenhouse gases; 
Whereas the Council of Energy and Environment Ministers agreed at 
their meeting on 29 October 1990 that the Community as a whole 
should stabilize C02 emissions in general by the year 2000 at 
1990 level; 
Whereas C02 emissions arise primarily from the burning of fossil 
fueIs; 
Whereas the Commission has underlined, in the framework of a 
Community Strategy to limit carbon dioxide emissions and to improve 
energy ef f iciency(7), the need to set up a mechanism of monitoring 
and evaluation, in order to ensure that the Community stabilization 
target is met for the year 2000; 
Whereas the Council of Energy and Environment Ministers at their 
meeting on 13 December 1991 invited the Commission to propose 
concrete measures arising from the Community strategy and required 
that such measures should take into account the concept of 
equitable burden sharing-, 
(1) O.J. No. C 112, 20.12.1973, p. 1 
C. 139. 13.06.1977. p. 
C 46, 17.02.1983. p. 1 
C. 328, 7.12.1987, p. 1 
C 241/1, 25.09.1986 
C 183/4. 20.07.1989 
(7) SEC (91) 1744 Final, 14.10.1989 (2) O.J. No. 
(3) O.J. No. 
(4) O.J. No. 
(5) O.J. No. 
(6) O.J. No. 
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Whereas Member States need to develop national gross energy related 
C02 emission objectives, in order to ensure the achievement of 
the Community stabilization target; 
»•»» 
Whereas the Commission needs to evaluate whether through the 
national emission objectives and their evolution the Community 
stabilization target will be achieved; 
Whereas such monitoring and evaluation should be integrated as 
closely as possible in the existing reviews of energy programmes of 
Member States, as mentioned in the Council resolution concerning 
new Community energy policy objectives for 1995(8); 
Whereas the Commission may propose additional Community or national 
actions for the achievement of the Community stabilization target, 
for which a simplified procedure should apply. 
(8) Resolution 86/C 241/01 of 16.09.1986 
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HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1 
EC MONITORING MECHANISM 
This Decision establishes a monitoring mechanism of C02 emissions in 
the Member States, in order to ensure at Community level the 
achievement of the stabilization of C02 emissions by the year 2000 at 
their 1990 level and provide for the progressive establishment of a 
monitoring mechanism for other greenhouse gases as policies with regard 
to these develop. 
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Article 2 
DEFINITIONS 
For the purpose of this Decision: 
a . "COg emission" means: The discharge of C02 into the 
atmosphere resulting from the 
burning of fuels. 
b . "Community COg stabilization 
target" means: The stabilization of the total 
C02 emissions by 2000 at 1990 
levels in the Community as a 
who Ie. 
c . "national COg emissions 
ob Iect i ves" means: The maximum quantity of C02 
that is expected to be 
discharged into the atmosphere 
during a calendar year, by a 
Member State, according to the 
provisions of the national 
programme. 
d. "national programme" means all the measures envisaged or 
already taken at a national 
level to reduce C02 emissions, 
and to limit other greenhouse 
gas emissions. 
e. "other greenhouse gas 
emissions" means: The discharge of methane, 
nitrous oxide, halocarbons, 
tropospheric ozone precursors 
(carbon monoxide. nitrogen 
oxides, volatile organic 
compounds) into the atmosphere 
from all human activities. 
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Article 3 
NATIONAL PROGRAMMES 
I. National COg emissions programmes 
a. The Member States shall draw up national C02 emissions 
programmes, including strategies and national C02 emissions 
objectives for limiting their C02 emissions, in order to 
contribute to the achievement of the Community C02 stabilization 
target. 
b. The Member States shall establish and communicate to the 
Commission, before the end of 1994, national C02 emissions 
objectives covering the years 1996, 1998 and 2000. 
c. The national programmes shall comprise as far as possible : 
- the use of national instruments and actions aiming at 
Increasing energy efficiency and conservation; 
- the use of national instruments and actions aiming at fuel 
switching towards low or no-carbon containing fuels; 
- the implementation of possible Community legislation and 
policy, including economic and fiscal instruments; 
- an assessment of the economic impact of the above measures-, 
11. Additional national programmes 
Member States shall also report on policies and measures in 
order to increase the sequestration of C02 emissions and on 
actions taken to limit the emissions of other greenhouse gases 
(apart from C02), and evaluate the impact of these measures. 
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Article 4 
FIRST EVALUATION OP NATIONAL PROGRAMMES 
I. REPORTING AND EVALUATION 
a. Member States shall forward to the Commission the national 
programmes described in Article 3 to start one year after the 
entry into force of this Decision. 
b. The Commission shall forward to the other Member States the 
national programmes received within three months of their 
reception. 
c. The Commission shall evaluate these programmes in order to examine 
whether they, in conjunction with the Community action, secure 
compliance with the Community C02 stabilization target, and as 
appropriate the limitation of other greenhouse gases. 
d. The Commission shall report to the Council and the European 
Parliament the results of its assessment of the national programmes 
in relation to the overall Community C02 stabilization target 
and, as appropriate, the limitation of other greenhouse gases 
within 6 months after the reception of the programmes. 
II. ADDITIONAL MEASURES 
Depending on the results of the evaluation the Commission may, if 
necessary, and with due regard to burden sharing, make all 
appropriate proposals for required additional actions with a view 
to ensuring the attainment of the Community's C02 stabilization 
target and the limitation of other greenhouse gas emissions. The 
Council shall take a decision on these proposals by qualified 
majority after consulting the European Parliament and the Economic 
and Social Committee. 
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Art icle 5 
INVENTORY AND DATA-REPORTING 
a. With the entry into force of this Decision, Member States will 
report to the Commission their 1990 base year C02 emissions on 
the basis of fuel consumption statistics and Community wide agreed 
C02 emissions factors. 
b. The Commission in cooperation with the Member States shall 
establish an inventory of C02 and other greenhouse gas emissions 
in the Community. It will be developed on the basis of existing 
Community and Member State inventories and take into account 
progress made on international methods for emissions accounting. 
c. The procedures and methods for the development of the inventory for 
estimating and reporting C02 emissions shall be determined by the 
Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 
8. 
d. Member States shall each year, not later than (31 July) (from 
19..), report to the Commission the data concerning C02 emissions 
of the previous year and emissions of other greenhouse gases, as 
reliable data and methodology become available. 
e. The Commission shall establish within 6 months of reception a 
comprehensive report of the data to be transmitted to the Member 
States. 
f. Member States shall submit to the Commission each year all 
appropriate information about the implementation of the national 
programmes, including costs, and inform the Commission at the 
earliest opportunity of any substantcial alteration in their 
national programmes. 
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Article 6 
EVALUATION OF PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL PROGRAMMES 
a. The Commission shall establish procedures and methods for the 
evaluation of the progress made in the implementation of the 
national programmes in accordance with the procedure referred to in 
Article 8. 
This evaluation will be made primarily 
received under Article 3 and article 5. on the basis of data 
The Commission shall report every three years on its own 
responsablIity in the light of the information received under 
Article 3 and 5 to the Council and the European Parliament on the 
state of application of this Decision. This report shall address a 
survey of the progress made and problems encountered in each Member 
State and in the Community as a whole. 
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Article 7 
COg EMISSION MONITORING AND NATIONAL ENERGY POLICIES REVIEW 
The data reporting as deeribed in Article 5, as well as the actions 
foreseen under Articles 4 and 6 shall be integrated as closely as 
possible to the review process of national energy policies as defined 
in Council Resolution 86/C 241/01 of 16 September 1986. 
\ 
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Article 8 
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE 
1. The Commission shall be assisted by a committee of an advisory 
nature composed of representatives of the Member States and chaired 
by a representative of the Commission. 
2. The representative of the Commission shall submit to the committee 
a draft of the measures to be taken. The committee shall deliver 
Its opinion on the draft within a time limit which the chairman may 
lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by 
taking a vote. 
3. The opinion shall be recorded in the minutes; in addition, each 
Member State shall have the right to ask to have its position 
recorded in the minutes. 
4. The Commission shall take the utmost account of the opinion 
delivered by the committee. It shall inform the committee of the 
manner in which its opinion has been taken into account. 
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Art icle 9 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States 
Done at ... 
For the Counci 

ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(92) 181 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 12 14 
Catalogue number: CB-CO-92-252-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-44836-9 
OfSce for OfiSdaJ Publications of the European Communities 
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