Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: Doha Amendment and joint fulfilment of commitments

PURPOSE: to enable the ratification of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

NON LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2015/1339 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the joint fulfilment of commitments thereunder.

CONTENT: on behalf of the EU, the Decision approves the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change agreed on 8 December 2012 in Doha. 

The text of the Doha Amendment is attached to this Decision.

To recall, at the Doha Climate Change Conference in December 2012, parties to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Doha Amendment, establishing a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, starting on 1 January 2013 and ending on 31 December 2020.  The Doha Amendment amends the Kyoto Protocol, setting out further legally binding mitigation commitments for parties for the second commitment period.

The Council agreed, in its conclusions of 9 March 2012, to propose a joint quantified emission reduction commitment of 20 % for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol for the Union and its Member States. That commitment was determined on the basis of the total greenhouse gas emissions allowed during the period 2013-2020 under the climate and energy package

In the framework of the Doha Amendment, the Union, its Member States, Croatia and Iceland undertake to limit their average annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the years 2013 to 2020 to 80% of their base year emissions (mostly 1990). The Union, its Member States, Croatia and Iceland issued a joint declaration upon the adoption of the Doha Amendment, expressing their intention to fulfil jointly their commitments for the second commitment period. 

The Decision states that the Union and its Member States shall fulfil their commitments in accordance with the notification of the terms of the agreement to fulfil jointly the commitments of the European Union, its Member States and Iceland, set out in Annex I to the Decision.

The assigned amounts of the Member States and Iceland shall be equal to the emission levels set out in the Notification. By 15 April 2015, each Member State shall submit to the Convention Secretariat a report to facilitate the calculation of its assigned amount, in accordance with the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol, the Doha Amendment and decisions adopted thereunder.

The Commission shall prepare a report to facilitate the calculation of the assigned amount of the Union, and a report to facilitate the calculation of the joint assigned amount of the Union, its Member States and Iceland. 

The Decision sets out how the Union surplus shall be allocated to Member States. 

Member States shall endeavour to take the necessary steps with a view to depositing their instruments of acceptance simultaneously with the instrument of acceptance of the Union, and to the extent possible in the third quarter of 2015. 

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 7.8.2015.