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, of the one part, and Iceland, of the other part, concerning the latter’s participation in the joint fulfilment of commitments of the European Union, its Member States and Iceland to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

NON LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Decision (EU) 2015/1340 on the conclusion, 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 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.

CONTENT: the Decision approves, on behalf of the Union, 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. The text of the Agreement is attached to the Decision.

To recall, the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change contains legally binding emission reduction commitments for its first commitment period, from 2008 to 2012, for Parties listed in its Annex B. The Union and the Member States ratified the Protocol and agreed to fulfil its commitments under the first commitment period jointly. Iceland ratified the Protocol on 23 May 2002.

At the Doha Climate Conference in December 2012, all Parties to the Protocol agreed on the Doha Amendment, which establishes a second commitment period of the Protocol, starting on 1 January 2013 and ending on 31 December 2020. The Doha Amendment sets out further legally-binding mitigation commitments.  

The Council, at its meeting on 15 December 2009, welcomed a request from Iceland regarding a joint fulfilment of commitments with the European Union and its Member States in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Doha Amendment sets out the targets for the EU, its Member States and Iceland. Upon the adoption of the Doha Amendment, the Union, its Member States and Iceland issued a joint statement of their intention to fulfil their commitments for the second commitment period jointly. The statement was endorsed by the Council on 17 December 2012.

The terms of the agreement to fulfil jointly the commitments of the Union, its Member States and Iceland are laid down in an Annex to Council Decision (EU) 2015/1339.

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 5.8.2015.