CELEX: 51992PC0181
Language: en
Date: 1992-06-01
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION for a monitoring mechanism of Community CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                     COM(92) 181 final
ANNULE ET REHPLACE LE
DOC. SEC (92) 854 final                             Brussels, 1    June 1992
                                  Proposal for a
                                 COUNCIL DECISION
                 for n •onltorlnn ^ h . r , ! ^ ftf flfflmmHy ffl^
                      and other greenhouse g»» M I M I A M
                          (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---                           EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
   The European Counc 11 held in Dub 11 n on June 1990 recognized the
   global dimension of the greenhouse effect and urged all countries to
   adopt as soon as possible targets and strategies for limiting
   emissions of greenhouse gases.
2. The Joint Council of Energy and Environment Ministers agreed at their
   meeting on 29 October 1990 to take actions aiming at reaching
   stabilization of total C0 2 emissions by the year 2000 at 1990
   I eve Is.
3. The Commission's communication on "A Community Strategy to Limit
   Carbon Dioxide emissions and to improve energy efficiency" of 14
   October 1991 recognized that a moni tor ino mechanism should be set up
   to follow whether the C0 2 stabilization target of the Community is
   being reached.
4. In this context the Joint Council of Energy and Environment Ministers
   agreed at their meeting of 13 December 1991 that it is necessary,
   within the Community strategy, to formulate national programmes
   including strategies and targets for limiting their C 0 2 emissions
   as well as national programmes for limiting other greenhouse gases
   emissions.
   In addition the Commission is required by the Council to make an
   assessment of national action taken as a whole in relation to the
   overall Community stabilization objective.
5. On the basis of the expressed political commitments, the Commission
   submits this proposal for a Decision for a monitoring mechanism of
   Community C0 2 and progressively other greenhouse gas emissions.
   The main purpose of this proposal is to ensure at Community level as
   appropriate the achievement of the stabilization of C0 2 emissions
   by the year 2000 at their 1990 level and the limitation of other
   greenhouse gas emissions. This will be done through the evaluation
   of Community and national actions.
   The proposal is based on four key elements; the national programmes
   that should be drawn up by the Member States-, their evaluat ion by the
   Commission in the light of the EC stabilization agreement; the
   follow-up of the national programme implementation through a data
   reporting system and the establishment of an inventory concerning
   greenhouse gas emissions; and taking into account the equitable
   burden shar ing.
   Apart from that the proposal has a special provision for the setting-
   up of a Consultative Committee of Member States representatives.
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 2 -
    THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
    Having regard^to the Treaty establishing the European           Economic
    Community, and in particular Article 130s thereof.
    Having regard to the proposal of the Commission.
    Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliaments )
    Having    regard   to   the   opinion  of  the  Economic    and   Social
    Committee.( )
    Whereas     the  1973<1>,    1977<2>,  1983<3>  European    Communities
    action programmes on the environment stress the importance of the
    reduction and prevention of atmospheric pollution, and in addition
    the 1987<4) action programme emphasizes          the   importance    for
    Community action to concentrate as a priority on the reduction at
    source of air pollution;
    Whereas the Council Resolution of 16 September 1986(5) calls for a
    search    for   balanced    solutions  as  regards   energy    and   the
    env i ronment;
    Whereas the European Council of 21 June 1989 ( 6 ) declares that the
    Community and its Member States should take proper account in
    future policy decision of the problem of potential climatic change
    linked to the greenhouse effect;
    Whereas the European Council held at Dublin in June 1990 urged for
    the adoption as soon as possible of targets and strategies for
    limiting emissions of greenhouse gases;
    Whereas the Council of Energy and Environment Ministers agreed at
    their meeting on 29 October 1990 that the Community as a whole
    should stabilize C 0 2 emissions in general by the year 2000 at
    1990 level;
    Whereas C 0 2 emissions arise primarily from the burning of fossil
    fueIs;
    Whereas the Commission has underlined, in the framework of a
    Community Strategy to limit carbon dioxide emissions and to improve
    energy ef f iciency(7), the need to set up a mechanism of monitoring
    and evaluation, in order to ensure that the Community stabilization
    target is met for the year 2000;
    Whereas the Council of Energy and Environment Ministers at their
    meeting on 13 December 1991 invited the Commission to propose
    concrete measures arising from the Community strategy and required
    that such measures should take into account the concept of
    equitable burden sharing-,
(1) O.J. No.   C 112, 20.12.1973, p. 1
(2) O.J. No.   C. 139. 13.06.1977. p.
(3) O.J. No.   C 46, 17.02.1983. p. 1
(4) O.J. No.   C. 328, 7.12.1987, p. 1
(5) O.J. No.   C 241/1, 25.09.1986
(6) O.J. No.   C 183/4. 20.07.1989
(7)  SEC (91)  1744 Final, 14.10.1989
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 3 -
    Whereas Member States need to develop national gross energy related
    C 0 2 emission objectives, in order to ensure the achievement of
    the Community stabilization target;
                   »•»»
    Whereas the Commission needs to evaluate whether through the
    national emission objectives and their evolution the Community
    stabilization target will be achieved;
    Whereas such monitoring and evaluation should be integrated as
    closely as possible in the existing reviews of energy programmes of
    Member States, as mentioned in the Council resolution concerning
    new Community energy policy objectives for 1995 ( 8 ) ;
    Whereas the Commission may propose additional Community or national
    actions for the achievement of the Community stabilization target,
    for which a simplified procedure should apply.
(8) Resolution 86/C 241/01 of 16.09.1986
 ---pagebreak---                                   - A -
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
EC MONITORING MECHANISM
This Decision establishes a monitoring mechanism of C 0 2 emissions in
the Member States, in order to ensure at Community           level the
achievement of the stabilization of C0 2 emissions by the year 2000 at
their 1990 level and provide for the progressive establishment of a
monitoring mechanism for other greenhouse gases as policies with regard
to these develop.
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 5 -
Article 2
DEFINITIONS
For the purpose of this Decision:
a . "COg emission" means:               The discharge of C 0 2 into the
                                        atmosphere resulting from the
                                        burning of fuels.
b . "Community COg stabilization
      target" means:                    The stabilization of the total
                                        C0 2 emissions by 2000 at 1990
                                        levels in the Community as a
                                        who Ie.
c . "national COg emissions
      ob Iect i ves" means:             The maximum quantity of C0 2
                                        that     is    expected     to    be
                                        discharged into the atmosphere
                                        during a calendar year, by a
                                        Member State, according to the
                                        provisions     of    the   national
                                        programme.
 d.  "national programme" means         all the measures envisaged or
                                        already taken at a national
                                         level to reduce C 0 2 emissions,
                                        and to limit other greenhouse
                                        gas emissions.
 e.  "other greenhouse gas
       emissions" means:                The     discharge     of   methane,
                                        nitrous     oxide,     halocarbons,
                                         tropospheric    ozone   precursors
                                         (carbon     monoxide.     nitrogen
                                        oxides,       volatile       organic
                                        compounds) into the atmosphere
                                         from all human activities.
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 6 -
Article 3
NATIONAL PROGRAMMES
I.  National COg emissions programmes
a.  The   Member    States     shall   draw   up   national  C02   emissions
    programmes,    including strategies and national         C02   emissions
    objectives    for   limiting     their  C 0 2 emissions,  in order    to
    contribute to the achievement of the Community C 0 2 stabilization
    target.
b.  The Member     States shall       establish and communicate      to the
    Commission, before the end of 1994, national C 0 2 emissions
    objectives covering the years 1996, 1998 and 2000.
c.  The national programmes shall comprise as far as possible :
        - the use of national          instruments and actions   aiming   at
           Increasing energy efficiency and conservation;
        - the use of national instruments and actions aiming at fuel
          switching towards low or no-carbon containing fuels;
        - the implementation of possible Community legislation           and
          policy, including economic and fiscal instruments;
        - an assessment of the economic impact of the above measures-,
11. Additional national programmes
        Member States shall also report on policies and measures in
        order to increase the sequestration of C 0 2 emissions and on
        actions taken to limit the emissions of other greenhouse gases
        (apart from C 0 2 ) , and evaluate the impact of these measures.
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 7 -
Article 4
FIRST EVALUATION OP NATIONAL PROGRAMMES
I.   REPORTING AND EVALUATION
a.   Member States shall forward to the Commission          the national
     programmes described in Article 3 to start one year after the
     entry into force of this Decision.
b.   The Commission shall forward      to the   other Member States the
      national   programmes  received   within   three months of    their
      reception.
 c.   The Commission shall evaluate these programmes in order to examine
      whether they, in conjunction with the Community action, secure
      compliance with the Community C0 2 stabilization target, and as
      appropriate the limitation of other greenhouse gases.
 d.   The Commission shall report to the Council and the European
      Parliament the results of its assessment of the national programmes
       in relation to the overall Community C0 2 stabilization target
      and, as appropriate, the limitation of other greenhouse gases
      within 6 months after the reception of the programmes.
  II. ADDITIONAL MEASURES
      Depending on the results of the evaluation the Commission may, if
      necessary, and with due regard to burden sharing, make all
       appropriate proposals for required additional actions with a view
       to ensuring the attainment of the Community's C0 2 stabilization
       target and the limitation of other greenhouse gas emissions. The
      Council shall take a decision on these proposals by qualified
      majority after consulting the European Parliament and the Economic
       and Social Committee.
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 8 -
Art icle 5
INVENTORY AND DATA-REPORTING
a.   With the entry into force of this Decision, Member States will
     report to the Commission their 1990 base year C 0 2 emissions on
     the basis of fuel consumption statistics and Community wide agreed
     C0 2 emissions factors.
b.   The Commission     in cooperation with the Member     States shall
     establish an inventory of C0 2 and other greenhouse gas emissions
     in the Community. It will be developed on the basis of existing
     Community and Member State inventories and take into account
     progress made on international methods for emissions accounting.
c.   The procedures and methods for the development of the inventory for
     estimating and reporting C0 2 emissions shall be determined by the
     Commission in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article
     8.
d.  Member States shall each year, not later than (31 July) (from
     19..), report to the Commission the data concerning C 0 2 emissions
    of the previous year and emissions of other greenhouse gases, as
     reliable data and methodology become available.
e.   The Commission shall establish within 6 months of reception a
     comprehensive report of the data to be transmitted to the Member
     States.
f.  Member States shall submit to the Commission each year all
     appropriate information about the implementation of the national
     programmes, including costs, and inform the Commission at the
     earliest opportunity of any substantcial alteration in their
     national programmes.
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 9 -
Article 6
EVALUATION OF PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTATION  OF NATIONAL PROGRAMMES
a.  The Commission shall establish procedures and methods for the
    evaluation of the progress made in the implementation of the
    national programmes in accordance with the procedure referred to in
    Article 8.
    This evaluation will be made primarily      on  the basis  of  data
    received under Article 3 and article 5.
    The Commission shall     report every three years on       its own
    responsablIity in the light of the information received under
    Article 3 and 5 to the Council and the European Parliament on the
    state of application of this Decision. This report shall address a
    survey of the progress made and problems encountered in each Member
    State and in the Community as a whole.
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 10 -
Article 7
COg EMISSION MONITORING AND NATIONAL ENERGY POLICIES REVIEW
The data reporting as deeribed in Article 5, as well as the actions
foreseen under Articles 4 and 6 shall be integrated as closely as
possible to the review process of national energy policies as defined
in Council Resolution 86/C 241/01 of 16 September 1986.
                                                                      \
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 11 -
Article 8
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE
1.  The Commission shall be assisted by 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 Commission 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 may
    lay down according to the urgency of the matter, if necessary by
    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 utmost account of the opinion
    delivered by the committee. It shall inform the committee of the
    manner in which its opinion has been taken into account.
 ---pagebreak---                                  - 12 -
Art icle 9
This Decision is addressed to the Member States
Done at ...
For the Counci
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                   ISSN 0254-1475
                                                            COM(92) 181 final
                                                    DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                       12 14
                               Catalogue number: CB-CO-92-252-EN-C
                                                           ISBN 92-77-44836-9
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