LeX-Ray

Directive 2003/87 ( 3 ) establishes a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community (the Community scheme) in order to promote reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective and economically efficient manner, recognising that, in the longer-term, global emissions of greenhouse gases will need to be reduced by approximately 70 % compared to 1990 levels. It aims at contributing towards fulfilling the commitments of the Community and its Member States to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol which was approved by Council Decision 2002/358/EC of 25 April 2002 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 ( 4 ) .

Directive 2003/87 states that the recognition of credits from project-based mechanisms for fulfilling obligations as from 2005 will increase the cost-effectiveness of achieving reductions of global greenhouse gas emissions and shall be provided for by provisions for linking the Kyoto project-based mechanisms, including joint implementation (JI) and the clean development mechanism (CDM), with the Community scheme.

Linking the Kyoto project-based mechanisms to the Community scheme, while safeguarding the latter's environmental integrity, gives the opportunity to use emission credits generated through project activities eligible pursuant to Articles 6 and 12 of the Kyoto Protocol in order to fulfil Member States' obligations in accordance with Article 12(3) of Directive 2003/87. As a result, this will increase the diversity of low-cost compliance options within the Community scheme leading to a reduction of the overall costs of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol while improving the liquidity of the Community market in greenhouse gas emission allowances. By stimulating demand for JI credits, Community companies will invest in the development and transfer of advanced environmentally sound technologies and know-how. The demand for CDM credits will also be stimulated and thus developing countries hosting CDM projects will be assisted in achieving their sustainable development goals.

In addition to the use of the Kyoto project-based mechanisms by the Community and its Member States, and by companies and individuals outside the Community scheme, those mechanisms should be linked to the Community scheme in such a way as to ensure consistency with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol and subsequent decisions adopted thereunder as well as with the objectives and architecture of the Community scheme and provisions laid down by Directive 2003/87.

Member States may allow operators to use, in the Community scheme, certified emission reductions (CERs) from 2005 and emission reduction units (ERUs) from 2008. The use of CERs and ERUs by operators from 2008 may be allowed up to a percentage of the allocation to each installation, to be specified by each Member State in its national allocation plan. The use will take place through the issue and immediate surrender of one allowance in exchange for one CER or ERU. An allowance issued in exchange for a CER or ERU will correspond to that CER or ERU.

The Commission Regulation for a standardised and secured system of registries, to be adopted pursuant to Article 19(3) of Directive 2003/87 and Article 6(1) of Decision No 280/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 concerning a mechanism for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the Kyoto Protocol ( 5 ) , will provide for the relevant processes and procedures in the registries system for the use of CERs during the period 2005 to 2007 and subsequent periods, and for the use of ERUs during the period 2008 to 2012 and subsequent periods.

Each Member State will decide on the limit for the use of CERs and ERUs from project activities, having due regard to the relevant provisions of the Kyoto Protocol and the Marrakesh Accords, to meet the requirements therein that the use of the mechanisms should be supplemental to domestic action. Domestic action will thus constitute a significant element of the effort made.

In accordance with the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and subsequent decisions adopted thereunder, Member States are to refrain from using CERs and ERUs generated from nuclear facilities to meet their commitments pursuant to Article 3(1) of the Kyoto Protocol and pursuant to Decision 2002/358/EC.

Decisions 15/CP.7 and 19/CP.7 adopted pursuant to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol emphasise that environmental integrity is to be achieved, inter alia , through sound modalities, rules and guidelines for the mechanisms, and through sound and strong principles and rules governing land use, land-use change and forestry activities, and that the issues of non-permanence, additionality, leakage, uncertainties and socioeconomic and environmental impacts, including impacts on biodiversity and natural ecosystems, associated with afforestation and reforestation project activities are to be taken into account. The Commission should consider, in its review of Directive 2003/87 in 2006, technical provisions relating to the temporary nature of credits and the limit of 1 % for eligibility for land use, land-use change and forestry project activities as established in Decision 17/CP.7, and also provisions relating to the outcome of the evaluation of potential risks associated with the use of genetically modified organisms and potentially invasive alien species in afforestation and reforestation project activities, to allow operators to use CERs and ERUs resulting from land use, land use change and forestry project activities in the Community scheme from 2008, in accordance with the decisions adopted pursuant to the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol.

In order to avoid double counting, CERs and ERUs should not be issued as a result of project activities undertaken within the Community that also lead to a reduction in, or limitation of, emissions from installations covered by Directive 2003/87, unless an equal number of allowances is cancelled from the registry of the Member State of the CERs’ or ERUs’ origin.

In accordance with the relevant treaties of accession, the acquis communautaire should be taken into account in the establishment of baselines for project activities undertaken in countries acceding to the Union.

Any Member State that authorises private or public entities to participate in project activities remains responsible for the fulfilment of its obligations under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol and should therefore ensure that such participation is consistent with the relevant guidelines, modalities and procedures adopted pursuant to the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol.

In accordance with the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and subsequent decisions adopted for their implementation, the Commission and the Member States should support capacity building activities in developing countries and countries with economies in transition in order to help them take full advantage of JI and the CDM in a manner that supports their sustainable development strategies. The Commission should review and report on efforts in this regard.

Criteria and guidelines that are relevant to considering whether hydroelectric power production projects have negative environmental or social impacts have been identified by the World Commission on Dams in its November 2000 Report ‘Dams and Development — A New Framework for Decision-Making’, by the OECD and by the World Bank.

Since participation in JI and CDM project activities is voluntary, corporate environmental and social responsibility and accountability should be enhanced in accordance with paragraph 17 of the Plan of implementation of the world summit on sustainable development. In this connection, companies should be encouraged to improve the social and environmental performance of JI and CDM activities in which they participate.

Information on project activities in which a Member State participates or authorises private or public entities to participate should be made available to the public in accordance with PAEID of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2003 on public access to environmental information ( 6 ) .

The Commission may mention impacts on the electricity market in its reports on emission allowance trading and the use of credits from project activities.

Following entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol, the Commission should examine whether it could be possible to conclude agreements with countries listed in Annex B to the Kyoto Protocol which have yet to ratify the Protocol, to provide for the recognition of allowances between the Community scheme and mandatory greenhouse gas emissions trading schemes capping absolute emissions established within those countries.

Since the objective of the proposed action, namely the establishment of a link between the Kyoto project-based mechanisms and the Community scheme, cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States acting individually, and can therefore by reason of the scale and effects of this action be better achieved at Community level, the Community may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in order to achieve that objective.

Directive 2003/87 should therefore be amended accordingly,