Common Position (EC) No 51/2000 of 7 November 2000 adopted by the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, with a view to adopting a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants
Date: 2000-11-07
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: atmospheric pollutant, environmental protection, ozone, pollution, pollution control measures, public health

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I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COMMON POSITION (EC) No 51/2000

adopted by the Council on 7 November 2000

with a view to adopting Directive 2000/.../EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of ...
on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants

(2000/C 375/01)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE
EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social
Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (3),

the Committee of

the

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 251 of the Treaty (4),

Whereas:

(1)

The general approach and strategy of the fifth environ-
mental action programme was approved by the resol-
ution of 1 February 1993 of the Council and the
representatives of the Governments of the Member
States meeting within the Council on a Community
programme of policy and action in relation to the
environment and sustainable development (5) and it sets

(1) OJ C 56E, 29.2.2000, p. 34.
(2) OJ C 51, 23.2.2000, p. 11.
(3) OJ C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 35.
(4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 15 March 2000 (not yet
published in the Official Journal), Council Common Position of
7 November 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and
Decision of the European Parliament (not yet published in the
Official Journal).

(5) OJ C 138, 17.5.1993, p. 1.

as one objective that critical
loads and levels for
acidification in the Community are not to be exceeded.
The programme requires that all people should be
effectively protected against health risks from air pol-
lution and that permitted levels of pollution should take
account of the protection of the environment. The
programme also requires that guideline values from the
World Health Organisation (WHO) should become
mandatory at Community level.

The Member States have signed the Gothenburg Protocol
of 1 December 1999 to the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-
range Transboundary Air Pollution to abate acidification,
eutrophication and ground-level ozone.

Decision No 2179/98/EC of the European Parliament
and of the Council of 24 September 1998 on the review
of the European Community programme of policy and
action in relation to the environment and sustainable
development ‘Towards sustainability’ (6) specified that
particular attention should be given to developing and
implementing a strategy with the goal of ensuring that
critical
in relation to exposure to acidifying,
eutrophying and photochemical air pollutants, are not
exceeded.

loads,

(2)

(3)

(6) OJ L 275, 10.10.1998, p. 1.

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(4)

(5)

Council Directive 92/72/EEC of 21 September 1992 on
air pollution by ozone (1) requires the Commission to
submit to the Council a report on the evaluation of
photochemical
Community,
accompanied by any proposals the Commission deems
appropriate on the control of air pollution by ground-
level ozone and, if necessary, on reducing emissions of
ozone precursors.

pollution

the

in

organic compounds and ammonia is a cost-effective way
of broadly meeting the interim environmental objectives.
Such emission ceilings will allow the Community and
the Member States flexibility in determining how to
comply with them.

Significant areas of the Community are exposed to
depositions of acidifying and eutrophying substances at
levels which have adverse effects on the environment.
The WHO guideline values for the protection of human
health and vegetation from photochemical pollution are
substantially exceeded in all Member States.

(12) Member States should be responsible for implementing
measures to comply with national emission ceilings. It
will be necessary to evaluate progress towards com-
pliance with the emission ceilings. National programmes
for the reduction of emissions should therefore be drawn
up and reported on to the Commission and should
include information on the measures adopted or envis-
aged to comply with the emission ceilings.

(6)

The exceedance of critical
gradually eliminated and guideline levels respected.

loads should therefore be

(7)

(8)

At present it is not technically feasible to meet the long-
term objectives of eliminating the adverse effects of
acidification and reducing exposure to ground-level
ozone of man and the environment to the guideline
values established by the WHO. It is therefore necessary
to provide for interim environmental objectives for
acidification and ground-level ozone pollution, on which
the necessary measures to reduce such pollution are to
be based.

Interim environmental objectives and the measures to
meet them should take account of technical feasibility
and the associated costs and benefits. Such measures
should ensure that any action taken is cost-effective for
the Community as a whole and should take account of
the need to avoid excessive costs for any individual
Member State.

(9)

Transboundary pollution contributes to acidification,
soil eutrophication and ground-level ozone formation,
the abatement of which requires coordinated Com-
munity action.

(10) Reducing emissions of the pollutants causing acidifi-
cation and exposure to ground-level ozone will also
reduce soil eutrophication.

(11) A set of national ceilings for each Member State for
emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile

(1) OJ L 297, 13.10.1992, p. 1.

(13)

In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set
out in Article 5 of the Treaty and taking account, in
particular, of the precautionary principle, the objective
of this Directive, namely limitation of emissions of
acidifying and eutrophying pollutants and ozone precur-
sors, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member
States because of
the
pollution and can therefore be better achieved by
the Community; in accordance with the principle of
proportionality this Directive does not go beyond what
is necessary to achieve that purpose.

the transboundary nature of

the extent

(14) There should be a timely review of the progress made
by Member States towards the emission ceilings, as well
to which implementing
as a review of
the ceilings is likely to meet interim environmental
objectives, for the Community as a whole. Such review
should consider also scientific and technical progress,
developments in Community legislation and emission
reductions outside the Community with special regard
to progress made, inter alia, by the accession candidate
countries. In that review, the Commission should under-
take a further examination of the costs and benefits of
the emission ceilings, including their cost-effectiveness,
marginal costs and benefits and socio-economic impact
and any impact on competitiveness. The review should
also consider the limitations on the scope of
this
Directive.

(15) The Commission should for this purpose prepare a
report to the European Parliament and the Council
and, if it considers it necessary, propose appropriate
amendments to this Directive taking account of the
effects of any relevant Community legislation, inter alia ,
setting emission limits and product standards for rel-
evant sources of emissions.

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(16) Owing to the transboundary nature of acidification and
ozone pollution, the Commission should continue to
examine further the need to develop harmonised Com-
munity measures, without prejudice to Article 18 of
Directive 96/61/EC of 24 September 1996 concerning
integrated pollution prevention and control (1), with the
aim of avoiding distortion of competition, and taking
into account the balance between benefits and cost of
action.

(17) The provisions of this Directive should apply without
prejudice to the Community legislation regulating emis-
sions of those pollutants from specific sources and to
the provisions of Council Directive 96/61/EC in relation
to emission limit values and use of best available
techniques.

Article 2

Scope

This Directive covers emissions in the territory of the Member
States and their exclusive economic zones from all sources of
the pollutants referred to in Article 4 which arise as a result of
human activities.

It does not cover:

(a)

emissions from international maritime traffic,

(b)

aircraft emissions beyond the landing and take-off cycle,

(18) Emission inventories are necessary to monitor progress
towards compliance with the emission ceilings and must
be calculated in accordance with internationally agreed
methodology and reported on regularly to the Com-
mission and the European Environment Agency (EEA).

(c)

for Spain, emissions in the Canary Islands,

(d)

for France, emissions in the overseas departments,

(e)

for Portugal, emissions in Madeira and the Azores.

(19) Member States should lay down rules on penalties
applicable to infringements of the provisions of this
Directive and ensure that they are implemented. The
penalties should be effective, proportionate and dis-
suasive.

(20) The measures necessary for the implementation of this
Directive should be adopted in accordance with Council
Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down
the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers
conferred on the Commission (2).

(21) The Commission and Members States should cooperate
internationally with a view to achieving the objectives
of this Directive,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

Article 1

Objective

The aim of this Directive is to limit emissions of acidifying and
eutrophying pollutants and ozone precursors in order to
improve the protection in the Community of the environment
and human health against risks of adverse effects from
acidification, soil eutrophication and ground-level ozone and
to move towards the long-term objectives of not exceeding
critical levels and loads and of effective protection of all people
against recognised health risks from air pollution.

(1) OJ L 257, 10.10.1996, p. 26.
(2) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23.

Article 3

Definitions

For the purposes of this Directive:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

‘AOT 40’ means the sum of the difference between
hourly concentrations of ground-level ozone greater than
80 (cid:236)g/m3 (=40 ppb) and 80 (cid:236)g/m3 during daylight hours
accumulated from May to July each year;

‘AOT 60’ means the sum of the difference between
hourly concentrations of ground-level ozone greater than
120 (cid:236)g/m3 (=60 ppb) and 120 (cid:236)g/m3 accumulated
throughout the year;

‘critical load’ means a quantitative estimate of an exposure
to one or more pollutants below which significant adverse
effects on specified sensitive elements of the environment
do not occur, according to present knowledge;

‘critical level’ means the concentration of pollutants in
the atmosphere above which direct adverse effects on
receptors, such as human beings, plants, ecosystems or
materials, may occur, according to present knowledge;

‘emission’ means the release of a substance from a point
or diffuse source into the atmosphere;

‘grid cell’ means a square 150 km × 150 km, which is
the resolution used when mapping critical loads on a
European scale, and also when monitoring emissions
and depositions of air pollutants under the cooperative
programme for monitoring and evaluation of the long-
range transmission of air pollutants in Europe (EMEP);

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g)

h)

i)

j)

k)

‘landing and take-off cycle’ means a cycle represented by
the following time in each operating mode: approach
take-off
4,0 minutes;
0,7 minutes; climb 2,2 minutes;

taxi/ground idle 26,0 minutes,

‘national emission ceiling’ means the maximum amount
of a substance expressed in kilotonnes, which may be
emitted from a Member State in a calendar year;

‘nitrogen oxides’ and ‘NOx’ mean nitric oxide and nitrogen
dioxide, expressed as nitrogen dioxide;

‘ground-level ozone’ means ozone in the lowermost part
of the troposphere;

‘volatile organic compounds’ and ‘VOC’ mean all organic
compounds arising from human activities, other than
methane, which are capable of producing photochemical
oxidants by reactions with nitrogen oxides in the presence
of sunlight.

Article 4

National emission ceilings

1.
By the year 2010 at the latest, Member States shall limit
their annual national emissions of the pollutants sulphur
dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic com-
pounds (VOC) and ammonia (NH3) to amounts not greater
than the emission ceilings laid down in Annex I, taking into
account any modifications made by Community measures
adopted following the reports referred to in Article 9.

2. Member States shall ensure that the emission ceilings
laid down in Annex I are not exceeded in any year after 2010.

Article 5

Interim environmental objectives

(c) Vegetation-related ground-level ozone exposure

The ground-level ozone load above the critical level for
crops and semi-natural vegetation (AOT40 = 3 ppm.h)
shall be reduced by one third in all grid cells compared
with the 1990 situation. In addition, the ground-level
ozone load shall not exceed an absolute limit of 10 ppm.h,
expressed as an exceedance of the critical level of 3 ppm.h
in any grid cell.

Article 6

National programmes

1. Member States shall, by 1 October ... (*) at the latest,
draw up programmes for the progressive reduction of national
emissions of the pollutants referred to in Article 4 with the
aim of complying at least with the national emission ceilings
laid down in Annex I by 2010 at the latest.

The national programmes shall include information on
2.
adopted and envisaged policies and measures and quantified
estimates of the effect of these policies and measures on
emissions of the pollutants in 2010. Anticipated significant
changes in the geographical distribution of national emissions
shall be indicated.

3. Member States shall update and revise the national
programmes as necessary by 1 October ... (**).

4. Member States shall make available to the public, and to
appropriate organisations such as environmental organis-
ations, the programmes drawn up in accordance with para-
graphs 1, 2 and 3. Information made available to the public
and to organisations under this paragraph shall be clear,
comprehensible and easily accessible.

The national emission ceilings in Annex I shall have as their
purpose to meet broadly the following interim environmental
objectives, for the Community as a whole, by 2010.

(a) Acidification

Article 7

Emission inventories and projections

The areas where critical
reduced by at
least 50 per cent
compared with the 1990 situation.

loads are exceeded shall be
(in each grid cell)

shall prepare and annually update
1. Member States
national emission inventories and emission projections for
2010 for the pollutants referred to in Article 4.

(b) Health-related ground-level ozone exposure

The ground-level ozone load above the critical level for
human health (AOT60 = 0) shall be reduced by two
thirds in all grid cells compared with the 1990 situation.
In addition, the ground-level ozone load shall not exceed
an absolute limit of 2,9 ppm.h in any grid cell.

2. Member States shall establish their emission inventories
and projections using the methodologies specified in Annex II.

(*) One year after the date of entry into force of this Directive.
(**) Five years after the date of entry into force of this Directive.

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3.
The Commission, assisted by the European Environment
Agency, shall, in cooperation with the Member States and on
the basis of the information provided by them, establish
inventories and projections of the pollutants referred to in
Article 4. The inventories and projections shall be made
publicly available.

Any updating of

4.
the methodologies to be used in
accordance with Annex II, shall be made in accordance with
the procedure set out in Article 11(2).

Article 8

Reports by the Member States

1. Member States shall each year, by 31 December at the
latest, report their national emission inventories and their
emission projections for 2010, established in accordance with
Article 7, to the Commission and the European Environment
Agency. They shall report their final emission inventories for
the previous year but one and their provisional emission
inventories for the previous year. Emission projections shall
include information to enable a quantitative understanding of
the key socio-economic assumptions used in their preparation.

2. Member States shall, by 31 December ... (*) at the latest,
inform the Commission of the programmes drawn up in
accordance with Article 6(1) and (2).

Member States shall, by 31 December ... (**) at the latest,
inform the Commission of the updated programmes drawn
up in accordance with Article 6(3).

3.
The Commission shall forward the national programmes
received to the other Member States within one month of their
reception.

4.
The Commission shall, in accordance with the procedure
set out in Article 11(2), establish provisions to ensure consist-
ent and transparent reporting of national programmes.

Article 9

Reports by the Commission

1.
In 2004 and 2008 the Commission shall report to the
European Parliament and to the Council on progress on the
implementation of the national emission ceilings laid down in
Annex I and on the extent to which the interim environmental
objectives set out in Article 5 are likely to be met by 2010.

The reports shall include an economic assessment, including
cost-effectiveness, benefits, an assessment of marginal costs
and benefits and the socio-economic impact of the implemen-
tation of the national emission ceilings on particular Member
States and sectors. They shall also include a review of the
limitations of the scope of this Directive as defined in Article 2
and an evaluation of the extent to which further emission
reductions might be necessary in order to meet the interim
environmental objectives set out in Article 5. They shall take
into account the reports made by Member States pursuant to
Article 8(1) and (2), as well as, inter alia:

(a)

any new Community legislation which may have been
adopted setting emission limits and product standards for
relevant sources of emissions;

(b) developments of best available techniques in the frame-
work of the exchange of information under Article 16 of
Directive 96/61/EC;

(c)

(d)

(e)

(f)

(g)

(h)

(i)

(j)

emission reduction objectives for 2008 for emissions of
sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from existing large
combustion plants, reported by Member States pursuant
to Directive 2000/.../EC of the European Parliament and
of the Council of ... on the limitation of emissions of
certain pollutants into the air from large combustion
plants (1);

emission reductions and reduction commitments by third
countries, with particular focus on measures to be taken
in the accession candidate countries, and the possibility
for further emission reductions in regions in the vicinity
of the Community;

any new Community legislation and any international
regulations concerning ship and aircraft emissions;

the development of transport and any further action to
control transport emissions;

developments in the field of agriculture, new livestock
projections and improvements in emission reduction
methods in the agricultural sector;

any major changes in the energy supply market within a
Member State and new forecasts reflecting the actions
taken by Member States to comply with their inter-
national obligations in relation to climate change;

assessment of the current and projected exceedances of
critical loads and the WHO’s guideline values for ground-
level ozone;

the possibility of identification of a proposed interim
objective for reducing soil eutrophication;

(*) One year after the entry into force of this Directive.
(**) Five years after the entry into force of this Directive.

(1) See p. 12 of this Official Journal.

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(k)

new technical and scientific data including an assessment
of the uncertainties in:

Article 10

(i)

national emission inventories;

(ii)

input reference data;

(iii) knowledge of

the transboundary transport and

deposition of pollutants;

(iv) critical loads and levels;

(v)

the model used;

and an assessment of the resulting uncertainty in the
national emission ceilings required to meet the interim
environmental objectives mentioned in Article 5;

(l) whether there is a need to avoid excessive costs for any

individual Member State;

(m) a comparison of model calculations with observations of
acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone with
a view to improving models.

2.
In 2012 the Commission shall report to the European
Parliament and the Council on compliance with the ceilings in
Annex I and on progress in relation to the interim environmen-
tal objectives in Article 5. Its report shall take account of the
reports made by Member States pursuant to Article 8(1) and
(2) as well as the matters listed in points (a) to (m) of
paragraph 1 of this Article.

further investigation of

3.
The reports referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall take
into account the factors listed in paragraph 1. In the light of
these factors, of progress towards attaining the emission
ceilings by the year 2010, of a review of scientific and technical
progress, and of the situation regarding the exceeding of
critical loads and levels and WHO air quality guidelines, the
Commission shall carry out
the
estimated costs and benefits of emission ceilings. Without
prejudice to Article 18 of Directive 96/61/EC, with the aim of
avoiding distortion of competition, and taking into account
the balance between benefits and costs of action, the Com-
mission shall examine further the need to develop harmonised
Community measures for the most relevant economic sectors
and products contributing to acidification, eutrophication
and ground-level ozone. The reports will, if appropriate, be
accompanied by proposals for modifications of the ceilings in
for modifications to the interim environmental
Annex I,
objectives in Article 5, for measures to ensure compliance with
the ceilings, and for possible further emission reductions.

Cooperation with third countries

To promote the achievement of the objective set out in
Article 1, the Commission and Member States, as appropriate,
shall, without prejudice to Article 300 of the Treaty, pursue
bilateral and multilateral cooperation with third countries and
relevant international organisations such as the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the International
Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO), including through the exchange
of information, concerning technical and scientific research
and development and with the aim of improving the basis for
the facilitation of emission reductions.

Article 11

Committee

1.
The Commission shall be assisted by the committee set
up by Article 12 of Directive 96/62/EC, hereinafter referred to
as ‘the Committee’.

2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4
and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to
the provisions of Article 8 thereof.

The period referred to in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC
shall be set at three months.

3.

The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.

Article 12

Penalties

Member States shall determine the penalties applicable to
breaches of the national provisions adopted pursuant to this
Directive. The penalties shall be effective, proportionate and
dissuasive.

Article 13

Transposition

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive before ... (*). They shall forthwith inform the Com-
mission thereof.

those provisions,

When Member States adopt
they shall
contain a reference to this Directive or be accompanied by
such reference on the occasion of their official publication.
Member States shall determine how such reference is to be
made.

(*) 12 months from the date of entry into force of this Directive.

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2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission
the text of the main provisions of national law, which they
adopt in the field covered by this Directive.

Article 15

Addressees

Article 14

Entry into force

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at ...

This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publication
in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

For the European Parliament

For the Council

The President

The President

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ANNEX I

NATIONAL EMISSION CEILINGS FOR SO2, NOx, VOC AND NH3, TO BE ATTAINED BY 2010 (1)

Country

SO2
Kilotonnes

NOx
Kilotonnes

VOC
Kilotonnes

NH3
Kilotonnes

Austria

Belgium

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Greece

Ireland

Italy

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

United Kingdom

EC 15

39

99

55

110

375

520

523

42

475

4

50

160

746

67

585

3 850

103

176

127

170

810

1 051

344

65

990

11

260

250

847

148

1 167

6 519

159

139

85

130

1 050

995

261

55

1 159

9

185

180

662

241

1 200

6 510

66

74

69

31

780

550

73

116

419

7

128

90

353

57

297

3 110

(1) These national emission ceilings are designed with the aim of broadly meeting the interim environmental objectives set out in
Article 5. Meeting those objectives is expected to result in a reduction of soil eutrophication to such an extent that the
Community area with depositions of nutrient nitrogen in excess of the critical loads will be reduced by about 30 % compared
with the situation in 1990.

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ANNEX II

METHODOLOGIES FOR EMISSION INVENTORIES AND PROJECTIONS

Member States shall establish emission inventories and projections using the methodologies agreed upon by the
Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution and are requested to use the joint EMEP/Corinair (*)
guidebook in preparing these inventories and projections.

(*) Air emissions inventory of the European Environment Agency.

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STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL’S REASONS

I.

INTRODUCTION

1. On 14 July 1999 the Commission presented to the Council its proposal for a Directive of the
European Parliament and of the Council on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric
pollutants (1). The proposal was based on Article 175(1) of the Treaty.

2.

The European Parliament gave its opinion on 15 March 2000 (2) .

The Economic and Social Committee gave its opinion on 8 December 1999 (3).

The Committee of the Regions gave its opinion on 14 June 2000 (4).

3. On 7 November 2000, the Council adopted its Common Position in accordance with Article

251(2) of the Treaty.

II. OBJECTIVE

The aim of the Directive is to limit emissions of acidifying and eutrophying pollutants and ozone
precursors in order to improve the protection in the Community of the environment and human
health. The proposal sets upper limits, for each Member State, for the total annual emissions of the
four pollutants responsible for acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone pollution. These
limits, or ceilings, must be complied with by the year 2010 at the latest. The relevant pollutants are
sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ammonia
(NH3).

The proposal requires Member States to draw up national programmes which will assist them to
achieve the emission reductions required, but leaves the detail of the specific policies and measures
to be used up to the individual Member State. It also requires Member States to prepare and annually
update national emission inventories and emission projections for 2010 for the four pollutants. The
Commission shall report, in both 2004 and 2008, to the European Parliament and the Council on
progress in the implementation of the national emission ceilings and on the extent to which the
interim environmental objectives set out in the proposal are likely to be met by 2010.

III. ANALYSIS OF THE COMMON POSITION

1. General

The Council’s Common Position, whilst maintaining the approach proposed by the Commission
moves, in line with one of the European Parliament’s amendments (No 9), the proposed interim
environmental objectives from an Annex into Article 5 of the proposal. The changes to Annex I
of the proposal, which lists the proposed emission ceilings to be met by 2010, reflect the views
of Member States that they are, at present, unable to commit to the level of ceilings proposed
by the Commission. Some of these figures do, however, go somewhat further than figures
agreed by Member States when signing the 1999 Gothenburg Protocol to the UNECE
Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution to abate acidification, eutrophication
and ground-level ozone. The additions to and rewording of Article 9 also highlight Member
States’ intentions that a thorough review of these figures will be undertaken in 2004 in the
light of new information available then.

(1) OJ C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 34.
(2) OJ C ...
(3) OJ C 51, 23.2.2000, p. 11.
(4) OJ C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 35.

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2.

Accepted European Parliament amendments

The Council has adopted the eight European Parliament amendments accepted, fully or in part,
by the Commission.

3. Most important innovations introduced by the Council

Article 5 takes in the interim environmental objectives which were in Annex II to the proposal.

Article 9 has been reordered and reworded, to take account of Parliamentary amendments and
to make clear that any need to revise the ceilings will be considered in the light of progress
towards the interim environmental objectives. Excessive costs for any individual Member State
will also be considered.

Article 10 now includes reference to action taken by Member States, as well as the Community,
in relation to international cooperation with third countries and relevant organisations.

Article 11 has been altered to reflect the new comitology procedures.

Annex I now contains a reference to the expected result of meeting the emission ceilings in
relation to soil eutrophication.