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

PURPOSE : the approval of the Kyoto Protocol by the European Community. CONTENT : The proposal for a Decision makes provision for the actual approval of the Protocol by the Community. The EC and Member States will fulfil their commitments jointly. The respective emission levels allocated to the EC and to each Member State will apply for the first commitment period (2008-2012) as set out in Annex II to the proposal. The emission levels given are a translation of the figures of the "Burden Sharing Agreement" (see the Council conclusions of 16 June 1998), as a percentage of the base year or period. The proposal states that the total amount of greenhouse gases which the Community and its Member States can emit, which is to be calculated in terms of tonnes of CO2 equivalent, will be determined once their base year emissions are definitively established. This will happen at the latest before the start of the commitment period. It cannot be addressed now because base year emissions have not been definitively fixed and will not be at least until after the Protocol has entered into force.�