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

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety adopted the report by Giovanni La VIA (EPP, IT) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Iceland, on the other part, concerning Iceland's participation in the joint fulfilment of commitments of 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.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament give its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement.

The Doha amendment establishes a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol (KP CP2), starting on 1 January 2013 and ending on 31 December 2020, with legally binding emission reduction commitments according to which the European Union, its Member States and Iceland are jointly committed to limit their average annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the years 2013 to 2020 to 80% of their base year emissions (mostly 1990). That commitment was determined on the basis of the total greenhouse gas emissions allowed during the period 2013-2020 under the EU Climate and Energy Package.

Iceland is an Annex I Party to the Kyoto Protocol which met its individual target for the first commitment period. Iceland's emissions have finally decreased by a 2% average over this period.

In 2009, Iceland expressed its intention to jointly fulfil its commitments in a second commitment period together with the EU and its Member States. The Council welcomed this request and concluded that joint fulfilment in the second commitment period should include Iceland.

Iceland is interested in joint fulfilment with the EU and its Member States irrespective of whether it joins the EU or not.

Committee members considered that the Agreement will send a strong signal about the coordinated European efforts to address climate change at international level.

Members believed that the two Council Decisions on the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and the participation of Iceland in the joint fulfilment of commitments to the Kyoto Protocol need to be ratified in parallel without unnecessary delays and certainly well before the Paris UNFCCC Conference in 2015.