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

PURPOSE : to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision (2002/358/EC) concerning the approval on behalf of the European Community, of the Kyoto protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the joint fulfilment of commitments thereunder. CONTENT : the Council adopted the decision on ratification by the European Community of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Member States shall endeavour to take the necessary steps twit a view to depositing their instruments of ratification or approval simultaneously with those of the European Community and the other Member States and as far as possible not later than 1 June 2002. Under the Kyoto Protocol, concluded in 1997, contracting parties committed themselves to reducing the six greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, in particular carbon dioxide (CO2). The European Community committed itself to achieving an overall reduction of 8% of CO2 emissions in the 2008-12 period as compared with 1990 levels. For the protocol to enter force, it has to be ratified by 55 contracting parties, accounting for 55% of total CO2 emissions in 1990. The EC and Member States will fulfil their commitments jointly. The emission levels given are a translation of the figures of the "Burden Sharing Agreement" as a percentage of the base year or period. The quantified emission limitation and reduction commitment agreed by the European Community an its Member States for the purpose of determining the respective emission levels allocated to each of them for the first quantified emission limitation and reduction commitment period from 2008-2018 are set out in Annex II. These commitments are as follows: Belgium 92.5%; Denmark 79%; Germany 79%; Greece 125%; Spain 115%; France 100%; Ireland 113%; Italy 93.5%; Luxembourg 72%; Netherlands 94%; Austria 87%; Portugal 127%; Finland 100%; Sweden 104% and the United Kingdom 87.5%. The Commission shall, at the latest by 31 December 2006 determine the respective emission levels allocated to the European Community and to each Member State in terms of the tonnes of carbon dioxide.�