Amended proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 93/389/EEC for a monitoring mechanism of Community CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions
Date: 1998-03-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU programme, environmental monitoring, greenhouse gas, pollution control measures

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 C 02  and other grcenhouse gas emissions - 96/0192(SYN) 

ORIG1NA1.TEXT1 

AMENDEDTEXT 

Recital  8a 

Whereas  it  is  vital  to  be  able  to  assess 
accurately  and 
the  extent  of 
regularly 
progress  being  made  towards  the  goal  of 
to 
meeting  Community 
substantially 
gas 
reduce 
emissions  in the coming decades: 

commitments 
greenhouse 

Recital 8(b) 

the  Community  considers 

Whereas 
the 
monitoring  mechanism  to  be  an  essential 
instrument 
this 
progress: 

the  assessment  of 

in 

ARTICLE  l(2)(b) 

2. 
the  latest  from 
include in its national programme : 

Each  Member  State  shall,  at 
the  first  updating, 

2. 
its national programme : 

Each  Member  State shall  include in 

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 
a 
information 
quantitative  understanding  of  the  key 
assumptions  used  to  develop  the  said 
projections  and the methodology used 
for the provision  of the estimates, 

for 

-  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 
the  said 
projections  and  the  methodology  used  for 
the provision  of the estimates, 

to  develop 

ARTICLE  l(2)(b) 

information  on 

(b) 
the  ozone 
i.e.  carbon  monoxide 
precursors. 
(CO),  nitrogen  oxides  (NOx)  and 
volatile  organic  compounds  (VOCs), 
as  well  as  on  other  greenhouse  gas 
alia, 
including, 
emissions, 
(PFCs), 
perfluorocarbons 
hydrofiuorocarbons 
and 
sulphur  hexafluoride  (SF6)  in  line 
with  the reporting  requirements under 
the  UN  Framework  Convention  on 
Climate Change,  including 

(HFCs) 

inter 

(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, 
perfluorocarbons 
alia, 
inter 
including, 
(PFCs),  hydrofiuorocarbons 
(HFCs)  and 
sulphur  hexafluoride  (SF6)  in  line  with  the 
reporting 
the  UN 
requirements  under 
Framework  Convention  on  Climate  Change, 
incSuding 

OJ C 314, 24.10.1996, p. 11 

ARTICLE  l(2)(b) 

best  estimates  for  emissions 
projections  at  regular  intervals  in  the 
future  and  as  being  agreed  upon  in 
accordance with the procedure set out 
in Article 8, including information  for 
a  quantitative  understanding  of  the 
the 
key 
methodology  used  for  the  provision 
of the estimates. 

assumptions 

and 

for 

best 

estimates 

- 
emissions 
projections  at  regular  intervais  in  the  future 
and as being agreed upon in accordance with 
the  procedure  set  out  in  Article  8,  on  the 
basis  of  standard  procedural  guidelines. 
including 
for  a  quantitative 
understanding  of  the  key  assumptions  and 
the  methodology  used  for  the  provision  of 
the estimates. 

information 

A R T I C LE  l(3)(b)(iib)  (new) 

(iib) 
is added ; 

The  follQwing  subparagraph 

"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 
common 
presenting 
modelling  guidelines  for  current  qnd 

fiiture  Member States," 

4. 

Article 5 is deleted. 

Article  5  is  replaced  bv  the 

4. 
follovying ; 

A R T I C LE  1(4) 

"Article 5 

Evaluation  of  national  programmes 
and  of  the  state  of  emissions  in  the 
Communitv 

the  Commission 

Member  States  shall  forward 
L 
to 
their  existing 
national  programmes  or  updates  of 
programmes  alreadv  forwarded  within 
three  months  of  receiving  notification 
of this Decjsion, 

Ihfi 

Commission 

2* 
shall 
forward  to the other Member States the 
national  programmes  received  within 
two months of their reception. 

Ihfi 

Commission 

2* 
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 

The  Commission  shall  report 
éu 
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) 

to  fulfil 

The  Commission  shall  assess  annually  in  The  Commission  shall  assess  annually 
in  consultation  with  Member  States 
consultation  with  Member  States  whether 
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 
the  commitments  Community  is  on  course  to  fulfil  the 
on  course 
in  Article 
referred  to  in Article 2( 1 ) and  report to the 
commitments  referred 
2(1)  and 
European  Parliament  and  the  Council,  on 
the  European 
Parliament  and  the  Council,  on  the 
the  basis  of  information  received  under 
Articles  2  and  3, 
basis  of  information  received  under 
including  where 
national  Articles 2 and 3, including  the  updated 
appropriate 
The 
national 
programmes. 
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. 

programmes. 

updated 

report 

the 

to 

to 

ARTICLE  l(6a)  (new) 

Article  8(1)  is replaced  by the 

ÙSL 
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." 

of 
to 

representative 
submit 
shall 

the 
The 
2. 
Çpmmissjpn 
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 
the  opinion 
utmpst  aççpunt  of 
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 

L-2985  Luxembourg 

^