COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 02.03.1998 
COM(1998) 108 final 
96/0192(SYN) 
Amended proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring mechanism of Community CQ2 
and other greenhouse gas emissicms 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
Pursuant to Article 189A, paragraph 2, the Commission submits an amended proposal for 
a Council Decision amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring mechanism of 
Community C02 and other greenhouse gas emissions. The amended proposal takes 
account of a number of amendments from the European Parliament, adopted at its 
September 1997 session. 
Amendments accepted hy the Commission 
The Commission can accept wholly, in part or in principle a total of 11 amendments. 
Amendment 1 (new recital 8a) has been accepted: it re-emphasises the purpose of the 
Decision. 
Amendment 2 (new recital 8b) has been accepted: it stresses that the monitoring 
mechanism is essential to the assessment of the implementation of policies and measures 
in respect of climate change. 
Amendment 3 (Article 1 (2)(b)) proposes to remove the words "at the latest from the first 
updating" from the requirement for the inclusion of information in the Member States' 
national programmes. The amendment has been accepted because the Commission 
believes that the omission of these words makes no practical difference to the effect of the 
provision concerned. 
Amendment 4 (Article l(2)(b)) proposes to replace the requirement for estimates of the 
effect of policies and measures between the base year and "regular intervals" with their 
effect between the base year and 2005 , the base year and 2010 and then at regular 
intervals. It also proposes that the estimates of the effects of policies and measures and 
their incorporation into greenhouse gas emission predictions is to be on the basis of 
standard procedural guidelines. This has been accepted because both the years mentioned 
are recognised as relevant reference dates at both international and Community level and 
because the Commission is already working towards such guidelines at Community and 
international level. 
Amendment 11 (Article l(2)(b)) proposes to replace "ozone precursors" with "pollutants 
which affect the tropospheric ozone". This is accepted as a more precise alternative. 
Amendment 12 (Article l(2)(b)) proposes that the best estimates for emission projections 
are to be on the basis of standard procedural guidelines. This is accepted because the 
Commission is already working towards such guidelines with others at Community and 
international level. 
Amendment 6 (Article l(3)(b)(ii)(b) proposes thaf. the Commission. be requi.ed to i ike 
further steps to ensure the compatibility and transparency of naiional nieasurcoicnt and 
compilation and to take into consideration the need fbr a ciear framework in presenting 
modeling guidelines. It has been accepted because the Comrnission is already acting 
according t.o t.hese principles. 
Amendment 7 (Article 1(4)) provides for submission of Member States' national 
programmes within 3 months following the adoption of the Cornmission proposal by 
Council and a subsequent evaluation within 6 months. It is accepted in principle, but 
additional wording should also be included. On each occasion where they appear, the 
words "national programmes" should be followed by the words "or updates of 
programmes already forwarded". The reason is that Member States who have already 
submitted their programmes prior to the adoption of the proposal might reasonabiy object 
to having to resubmit them within three months of the adoption. 
Amendment 8 (Article 1(5)) proposes to clarify that the Commission should report 
annually to the Council and the Parliament even if Member States' data is incomplete and, 
if it is, the report is to refer to the absence of data. This is accepted because it should 
encourage the timely provision of data. 
Amendment 9 (Article 1 (6)(a)(new)) proposes to change the role of the committee under 
the monitoring Decision from regulatory (Procedure Illa) to advisory (Procedure I). This 
is accepted because the existing committee is an advisory one. 
Amendment not accepted by the Commission 
Amendment 5 (Article l(3)(b)(i)(a)) proposes an additional requirement on Member 
States to "report each year on cumulative emissions of each greenhouse gas (. . .) and 
"(. . .) to report on their projected cumulative emissions (. . .) over the periods up to 2005, 
2010 and 2020". The Commission cannot accept this amendment because it is not clear 
how these cumulative figures would help the annual assessment of progress and there is a 
danger of duplication of effort. Under the Commission proposal, Member States would 
already be required to report both on inventories and on the effects of measures for each 
of the gases and this would be an efficient analytical tool to assess progress towards the 
targets. 
Amentled Proposal for a Council Decision amcnding Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring 
mechanism of Communiry C02 and other grcenhouse gas emissions - 96/0192(SYN) 
ORIG1NA1.TEXT1 AMENDEDTEXT 
Recital 8a 
Whereas it is vital to be able to assess 
accurately and regularly the extent of 
progress being made towards the goal of 
meeting Community commitments to 
substantially reduce greenhouse gas 
emissions in the coming decades: 
Recital 8(b) 
Whereas the Community considers the 
monitoring mechanism to be an essential 
instrument in the assessment of this 
progress: 
ARTICLE l(2)(b) 
2. Each Member State shall, at 
the latest from the first updating, 
include in its national programme : 2. Each Member State shall include in 
its national programme : 
ARTICLE l(2)(b) 
estimates of the effects of 
policies and measures on emissions 
and removals and incorporation of 
these in greenhouse gas emissions' 
projections between the base year and 
2000; and after this date, between the 
base year and regular intervals as 
being agreed upon in accordance with 
the procedure set out in Article 8, 
including information for a 
quantitative understanding of the key 
assumptions used to develop the said 
projections and the methodology used 
for the provision of the estimates, - estimates of the effects of policies and 
measures on emissions and removals and 
incorporation of these in greenhouse gas 
cmissions' projections between the base year 
and 2000; and after this date, between the 
base vear and 2005. and between the base 
year and 2010: thereafter. between the base 
year and regular intervals as being agreed 
upon in accordance with the procedure set 
out in Article 8, on the basis of standartj 
procedurai guidelines, including information 
for a quantitative understanding of the key 
assumptions used to develop the said 
projections and the methodology used for 
the provision of the estimates, 
ARTICLE l(2)(b) 
(b) information on the ozone 
precursors. i.e. carbon monoxide 
(CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and 
volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 
as well as on other greenhouse gas 
emissions, including, inter alia, 
perfluorocarbons (PFCs), 
hydrofiuorocarbons (HFCs) and 
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) in line 
with the reporting requirements under 
the UN Framework Convention on 
Climate Change, including (b) information on pollutants which 
affect the tropospheric ozone. i.e. carbon 
monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (Mox) and 
voiatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well 
as on olher greenhouse gas cmissions, 
including, inter alia, perfluorocarbons 
(PFCs), hydrofiuorocarbons (HFCs) and 
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) in line with the 
reporting requirements under the UN 
Framework Convention on Climate Change, 
incSuding 
OJ C 314, 24.10.1996, p. 11 
ARTICLE l(2)(b) 
best estimates for emissions - best estimates for emissions 
projections at regular intervals in the projections at regular intervais in the future 
future and as being agreed upon in and as being agreed upon in accordance with 
accordance with the procedure set out the procedure set out in Article 8, on the 
in Article 8, including information for basis of standard procedural guidelines. 
a quantitative understanding of the including information for a quantitative 
key assumptions and the understanding of the key assumptions and 
methodology used for the provision the methodology used for the provision of 
of the estimates. the estimates. 
ARTICLE l(3)(b)(iib) (new) 
(iib) The follQwing subparagraph 
is added ; 
"The Commission shall take further 
steps to ensure the comparability and 
transparencv of national measurement 
and compilation methods: it shall take 
into consideration the need for a clear 
framework presenting common 
modelling guidelines for current qnd 
fiiture Member States," 
ARTICLE 1(4) 
4. Article 5 is deleted. 4. Article 5 is replaced bv the 
follovying ; 
"Article 5 
Evaluation of national programmes 
and of the state of emissions in the 
Communitv 
L Member States shall forward 
to the Commission their existing 
national programmes or updates of 
programmes alreadv forwarded within 
three months of receiving notification 
of this Decjsion, 
2* Ihfi Commission shall 
forward to the other Member States the 
national programmes received within 
two months of their reception. 
2* Ihfi Commission shall 
evaluate the national programmes. in 
order to assess whether progress in the 
Communitv as a whole is suffîcient to 
ensure fulfilment of the cornmitments 
referred to in Article 2(1Y 
éu The Commission shall report 
to the European Parliament and the 
Council the results of its evaluation 
within six months of the reception of 
the national programmes." 
5 
ARTICLE 1(5) 
The Commission shall assess annually in The Commission shall assess annually 
consultation with Member States whether in consultation with Member States 
progress in the Community as a whole is whether progress in the Community as 
sufficient to ensure that the Community is a whole is sufficient to ensure that the 
on course to fulfil the commitments Community is on course to fulfil the 
referred to in Article 2( 1 ) and report to the commitments referred to in Article 
European Parliament and the Council, on 2(1) and report to the European 
the basis of information received under Parliament and the Council, on the 
Articles 2 and 3, including where basis of information received under 
appropriate the updated national Articles 2 and 3, including the updated 
programmes. national programmes. The 
Commission's report shall be made 
available to the European Parliament 
and the Council even in the case of 
incomplete data being received from 
Member States: where this is the case. 
reference shall be made to this absence 
pfdatain the report. 
ARTICLE l(6a) (new) 
ÙSL Article 8(1) is replaced by the 
following ; 
Î1L The Commissiop shall be 
assisted bv 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 
Çpmmissjpn 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 mav lay 
down according to the urgencv of the 
matter. if necessarv bv 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 
utmpst aççpunt of the opinion 
delivered by the committee, I,t shall 
inform the committee of the manner in 
whiçh its .opinion has peen taken into 
account. 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(98) 108 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 14 12 07 15 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-106-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-31317-3 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
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