WRITTEN QUESTION E-2181/99

by Jorge Moreira da Silva (PPE-DE) to the Council

(30 November 1999)

Subject: CO2 emissions in Portugal

The 1997 Kyoto Conference on climate change saw Portugal, on the basis of its economic backwardness, negotiate the right to increase its CO2 emission levels to the year 2012 by 40 %, against the 1990 levels.

While the majority of EU countries agreed to lower their greenhouse gas levels, Portugal became the only country in the EU with the right actually to increase its emission of these gases.

However, last week, an exhaustive study on the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions was published by the Environmental Systems Analysis Working Party of the New University of Lisbon.

The study concluded that as of now, Portugal has already increased its levels of emissions by 34 % over 1990 values, and forecast that by the year 2010, Portugal will be emitting 62 % more CO2 than in 1990, far more than the extremely generous allowance of 40 % to 2012 actually agreed.

Given the seriousness of the situation, will the Council please tell me, as a matter of urgency:

1. The most recent figures it has for greenhouse gas emission levels in Portugal;

2. What specific measures the Portuguese Government enacted with a view to controlling and lowering greenhouse gas emissions;

3. Whether there are other countries, apart from Portugal, where the discrepancy between the ceilings of CO2 emission levels established in Kyoto and the levels currently forecast for 2012 is so glaring;

4. What it intends to do to avoid a potential general failure on the part of the EU Member States to meet the emission levels laid down at Kyoto?

Reply

(14 February 2000)

1. It is recalled that the Kyoto Protocol includes a provision enabling Parties jointly to fulfil their commitments. On 16 and 17 June 1998, the Council agreed the determinations of the contributions of Member States to the 8 % reduction commitment undertaken under the Protocol by the Community and all Member States, according to the annexed table.

2. In its latest conclusions on the Community strategy on climate change, adopted on 12 October 1999, the Council reaffirmed the importance of early ratification and implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, and confirmed its commitment to continue to work towards this objective.

It stressed in the context that the further assessment, development and further implementation of common and co-ordinated as well as national policies are necessary in order to meet the Kyoto commitments, and requested the Committee of Permanent Representatives to prepare a progress report for early 2000 on the preparations for ratification.

The Council further called upon the Commission to strengthen and speed up its efforts in the development and implementation of common and co-ordinated policies and measures that can facilitate and contribute to fulfilling the commitments of the Kyoto Protocol by the Community and its Member States.

3. It is not for the Council to answer the Honourable MEP on his questions concerning statistical data, nor on specific actions undertaken by a Member State. It is recalled in this connection that the Commission has at its disposal a mechanism to monitor inter alia the progress of Member States in meeting the agreed national contributions to the Community's commitments under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

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