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Greenhouse gas emissions, climate change: mechanism for monitoring and reporting

2011/0372(COD)

The European Parliament adopted by 634 votes to 42, with 5 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at national and Union level relevant to climate change.

Parliament reached its position at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure. The amendments adopted in plenary are the result of a compromise reached between the European Parliament and the Council. They amend the proposal as follows:

Purpose and scope: it is stipulated that the mechanism should monitor and report on the actions taken by Member States to adapt to the inevitable consequences of climate change in a cost-effective manner.

This Regulation will apply among other things to: (i) reporting and verifying information relating to commitments of the Union and its Member States; (ii) the Union's and its Member States' projections of anthropogenic  emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol; and (iii) Member States' actions to adapt to climate change.

Low-carbon development strategies: according to the amended text, the Member States and the Commission shall prepare their low-carbon development strategies in accordance with any reporting provisions agreed internationally in the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

These strategies shall contribute to meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments of Member States and achieving long-term emission reductions and enhancements of removals by sinks in all sectors in line with the Union's objective, in the context of necessary reductions according to the IPCC by developed countries as a group, to reduce emissions by 80 to 95 % by 2050 compared to 1990 levels in a cost-effective manner.

Member States shall report to the Commission on the status of implementation of their low-carbon development strategy no later than 18 months after the entry into force of the Regulation.

Systems of national inventories: the Union and the Member States should apply the guidelines for national systems set out in the Annex to Decision 19/CMP.1 of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

Inventories of greenhouse gases: the amended text strengthens and lays down Member States’ reporting obligations as regards their anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and CO2 removals by sinks relating to land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities. Member States shall submit to the Commission the information placed in their national registry on the issue, holding, transfer, acquisition, cancellation, retirement, carry-over of temporary certified emission reductions (tCERs) and long-term certified emission reductions (lCERs).

To enable the Union and the Member States to prepare information that is as up to date as possible on their greenhouse gas emissions, the Regulation should make use of statistical and other information, such as, where appropriate, space-based data provided by the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme and other satellite systems.

In order to ensure the effectiveness of the arrangements for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, it is necessary to avoid further adding to the financial and administrative burden already being borne by the Member States.

Confidentiality: all requirements concerning the provision of information and data under this Regulation should be subject to Union rules on data protection and commercial confidentiality.

Implementing acts: to ensure uniform implementation conditions, the Regulation stipulates that the Commission shall adopt implementing acts to set out rules on the structure, format and submission process:

  • of the information relating to national inventory systems and to requirements on the establishment, operation and functioning of national inventory systems and to requirements on the establishment, operation and functioning of national inventory systems in accordance with relevant decisions adopted by the bodies of the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol or of agreements deriving from them or succeeding them;
  • of information relating to greenhouse gas emissions and removals;
  • of Member States’ approximated greenhouse gas inventories;
  • of information on national and Union systems for policies and measures and projections;
  • of information supplied by Member States in application of the provisions concerning the reporting on the use of auctioning revenue and project credits.

Maritime transport: since the Commission has announced that it intends to propose new monitoring and reporting requirements for emissions from maritime transport , a recital underlines that such provisions should not be included in this Regulation at this time.

Review: the Commission shall regularly review the conformity of the monitoring and reporting provisions under this Regulation with future decisions relating to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol or other Union legislation.