WRITTEN QUESTION E-2300/97 by Patricia McKenna (V) to the Commission (3 July 1997)

Subject: Ireland and carbon dioxide emissions

At the meeting of the EU Council of Environment Ministers in March 1997, it was agreed that Ireland could increase its emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) by 15% between now and 2010. Whereas targets for reducing emissions were set for most other EU countries, a special arrangement was made for Ireland to allow it to continue with its industrial development programmes.

However, a recent report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the foremost economic research body in Ireland, predicted that on the basis of current policies, Ireland would be releasing 55 million tonnes of (CO2) annually by 2010 - an increase of 82.5% on 1990 figures.

Can the Commission give details of how it is monitoring Ireland's compliance with the March Council decision on (CO2) emissions? What steps does it plan to take to ensure that the national quotas set at that meeting are reached?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission (9 September 1997)

The Environment Council adopted on 24 June 1993 Decision 93/389/EEC ((OJ L 167, 9.7.1993. )) establishing a monitoring mechanism for the Community anthropogenic (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions not controlled by the Montreal protocol, as part of the overall strategy to limit (CO2) emissions and improve energy efficiency.

The monitoring mechanism serves the double purpose of monitoring progress towards the stabilization of (CO2) emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000 in the Community as a whole, and the fulfilment of the Community's joint commitments in the Framework convention on climate change (FCCC) to which it and all the Member States are parties and which entered into force on 21 March 1994.

In its conclusions of 22 and 23 June 1995, on the Community climate change strategy, the Council invites the Commission to draw up a proposal to amend the Council Decision of 24 June 1993 so that emissions can be assessed after the year 2000. In this context and given that the Decision is the principal means for assessing progress in the implementation of climate change policies and measures at Community level, the Commission is proposing the necessary amendments to the text of the Decision to allow for the updating of the process and in particular the post-2000 monitoring of greenhouse gas emissions limitations and reductions. For the time being the revision of Decision 93/389/EEC is under consultation in the Parliament ((COM(96) 369. )).

The Council established, on 3 March 1997, a Community negotiating position for the negotiations on a protocol to be decided in Kyoto, Japan (December 1997). It also decided that '... an emission index for each Member State in the year 2010 shall guide the determination of the contribution of each Member State towards the reduction the Community as a whole will have to realise in 2010 on the basis of the outcome of the protocol negotiations'. The index for Ireland is +15% in 2010 compared to 1990. Whatever the outcome of the Kyoto protocol might be, common and coordinated policies and measures, in addition to national measures, will have to be implemented in the future. The Commission will submit soon a broad based communication on climate change including these elements.