EU/Iceland agreement: Iceland's participation in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

PURPOSE: to conclude an agreement between the European Union and its Member States and Iceland concerning Iceland's participation in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

BACKGROUND: the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change entered into force on 16 February 2005 and contains legally binding emission reduction commitments for its first commitment period, from 2008 to 2012, for Parties listed in its Annex B. The Union approved the Kyoto Protocol by Council Decision 2002/358/EC. The Union and its Member States ratified the Kyoto Protocol and agreed to fulfil their commitments under the first commitment period jointly. Iceland ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 23 May 2002.

At the Doha Climate Conference in December 2012, all parties to the Kyoto Protocol agreed on the Doha Amendment which establishes a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, starting on 1 January 2013 and ending on 31 December 2020. The Doha Amendment amends Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol, sets out further legally binding mitigation commitments for parties listed in that Annex for the second commitment period, amends and further elaborates on provisions concerning the implementation of parties' commitments during the second commitment period.

The Union, its Member States and Iceland expressed their intention, in December 2012, to fulfil their commitments for the second commitment period jointly.

In order to pursue the rapid entry into force of the Doha Amendment, before the United Nations climate conference in Paris at the end of 2015, which is to adopt a new legally binding instrument for the period after 2020, and to underline the commitment of the Union, its Member States and Iceland to enable the legal force of the second commitment period in a timely manner, the Union, the Member States and Iceland should endeavour to ratify both the Doha Amendment and the Agreement not later than the third quarter of 2015.

It is now necessary for the Agreement to be approved on behalf of the Union.

CONTENT: this proposed Decision seeks the consent, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Iceland, of the other part, concerning Iceland's participation in the joint fulfilment of commitments by the European Union, its Member States and Iceland for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

For further details of the Agreement, please refer to the Commission initial legislative proposal dated 23.05.2014.