RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Iceland, on 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

18.5.2015 - (10883/2014 – C8‑0088/2015 – 2014/0151(NLE)) - ***

Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
Rapporteur: Giovanni La Via

Procedure : 2014/0151(NLE)
Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
A8-0166/2015
Texts tabled :
A8-0166/2015
Texts adopted :

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Iceland, on 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

(10883/2014 – C8‑0088/2015 – 2014/0151(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–       having regard to the draft Council decision (10883/2014),

–       having regard to the Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, on the one part, and Iceland, on 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 (10941/2014);

–       having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 192(1) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8‑0088/2015),

–       having regard to the letter of the Committee on Foreign Affairs,

–       having regard to Rule 99(1), first and third subparagraphs, Rule 99(2), and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–       having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (A8-0166/2015),

1.      Gives its consent to conclusion of the Agreement;

2.      Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Republic of Iceland.

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

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

Background

The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was signed in 1997 setting an internationally binding emission reduction target. The EU ratified the Protocol in 2002 and stated that it and its 15 Member States at the time would make use of this provision to fulfil the EU's emissions commitment jointly. The European Union and its Member States were thus jointly responsible under the Kyoto Protocol's compliance mechanism for fulfilling the commitment to reduce their collective GHG emissions in the first (2008-2012) period to 8% below 1990 levels.

In its conclusions of 9 March 2012, the Council agreed to propose a joint quantified emission reduction commitment of 20% below 1990 levels for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol for the Union. This Council position was followed by its Member States during the Doha Climate Change Conference held in December 2012, where the 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted an amendment to the Protocol.

The Doha amendment establishes a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol (KP CP2), starting on 1 January 2013 and ending on 31 December 2020, with legally binding emission reduction commitments according to which the European Union, its Member States and Iceland are jointly committed to limit their average annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the years 2013 to 2020 to 80% of their base year emissions (mostly 1990). That commitment was determined on the basis of the total greenhouse gas emissions allowed during the period 2013-2020 under the EU Climate and Energy Package.

'Joint fulfilment' is a technical term of the Kyoto Protocol. It means that several Parties may agree to achieve their emission commitments jointly. Once the joint commitment has been achieved, all Parties participating in the ‘joint fulfilment’ are considered to be in compliance with the Kyoto Protocol’s emission obligations. Only if the joint commitment is not achieved does each Party become responsible for its individual emissions level, according to the ‘terms of joint fulfilment.’

Position of the Rapporteur

The Rapporteur welcomes the proposal for a Council Decision which provides the basis for the conclusion 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 for the KP CP2 to the UNFCCC.

The Rapporteur would like to highlight herewith some aspects in relation to the proposal for a Council decision.

Iceland is an Annex I Party to the Kyoto Protocol which met its individual target for the first commitment period. Iceland had to limit the increase of emissions below 10 % on average over the first commitment period. Iceland's emissions have finally decreased by a 2 % average over this period.

In 2009, Iceland expressed its intention to jointly fulfil its commitments in a second commitment period together with the EU and its Member States. The Council welcomed this request and concluded that joint fulfilment in the second commitment period should include Iceland. The Council also requested the Commission to prepare the relevant proposals in this respect. The Commission (acting on behalf of the European Union and its Member States) and Iceland completed in 2014 the negotiations necessary for the joint fulfilment of the KP CP2.

Iceland does participate in the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) and in the EU Monitoring Mechanism Regulation (MMR) for greenhouse gases. The rights and obligations applying to Member States in the joint fulfilment need to be made applicable to Iceland through EU legislation.

Iceland is interested in joint fulfilment with the EU and its Member States irrespective of whether it joins the EU or not. The accession negotiations between Iceland and the EU therefore have no impact on the joint fulfilment of the commitment jointly agreed by the EU, its Member States and Iceland for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Kyoto Protocol requires Parties to a joint fulfilment agreement to set out and notify, together with their ratification instruments, the emission levels allocated to each member of that agreement (Article 4(1) of the Kyoto Protocol). The emission levels allocated to each Member State and Iceland are set out in Table 1 to Annex I of the draft Council Decision on the Doha Amendment (in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2eq)), which is subject to a parallel consent procedure.

The proposed ratification decision allows a joint initial report of the EU, its Member States and Iceland, to be prepared by the Commission, and individual Initial Reports of each Member State and Iceland.

Conclusion

The Rapporteur considers that 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 for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol will send a strong signal about the coordinated European efforts to address climate change at international level. The EU has long been a driving force in international negotiations on climate change and was instrumental in the development of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol.

That is why the Rapporteur believes that the two Council Decisions on the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol and the participation of Iceland in the joint fulfilment of commitments to the Kyoto Protocol need to be ratified in parallel without unnecessary delays and certainly well before the Paris UNFCCC Conference in 2015. The European Union's position is a world leader in the fight against climate change, supporting an ambitious climate policy. The EU is pressing for an agreement that is ambitious, comprehensive and legally binding. As part of the transition to the future global climate regime, the EU is taking part in the KP CP2 running from 2013 to 2020.

Given the above mentioned considerations, the Rapporteur suggests that the Committee responsible and the European Parliament give their consent to the Council Decision.

Opinion in Letter Form of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET)

Committee on Foreign Affairs

The Chair

Ref.: D(2015)18586

201295           29.04.2015

Giovanni La Via

Chair of the Committee on Environment,

Public Health and Food Safety

Subject: Opinion of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) for the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food safety (ENVI) Council Decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the agreement between the European Union and its Member States and Iceland concerning Iceland's participation in the joint fulfilment of commitments of the European Union, its Member States and Iceland in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Dear President,

The Committee on Foreign Affairs calls the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food safety, as the Committee responsible, to recommend that the European Parliament gives a consent to the agreement between the European Union and its Member States and Iceland concerning Iceland's participation in the joint fulfilment of commitments of the European Union, its Member States and Iceland in the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Enabling the entry into force of Europe’s commitments as legally-binding commitments in international law sends a strong signal about the commitment of the EU and its Member States to a rules-based multilateral regime for addressing climate change at international level.

I welcome therefore very much Iceland's will to undertake this obligation and to jointly fulfil its commitments in a second commitment period together with the EU and its Member States.

Yours sincerely,

(signed)

Elmar Brok

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted

6.5.2015

 

 

 

Result of final vote

+:

–:

0:

64

3

0

Members present for the final vote

Marco Affronte, Margrete Auken, Pilar Ayuso, Zoltán Balczó, Catherine Bearder, Ivo Belet, Biljana Borzan, Lynn Boylan, Cristian-Silviu Bușoi, Nessa Childers, Birgit Collin-Langen, Mireille D’Ornano, Miriam Dalli, Angélique Delahaye, Jørn Dohrmann, Ian Duncan, Stefan Eck, Bas Eickhout, Eleonora Evi, José Inácio Faria, Karl-Heinz Florenz, Francesc Gambús, Iratxe García Pérez, Elisabetta Gardini, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, Jens Gieseke, Sylvie Goddyn, Françoise Grossetête, Andrzej Grzyb, Jytte Guteland, György Hölvényi, Anneli Jäätteenmäki, Jean-François Jalkh, Josu Juaristi Abaunz, Kateřina Konečná, Giovanni La Via, Peter Liese, Norbert Lins, Valentinas Mazuronis, Susanne Melior, Miroslav Mikolášik, Massimo Paolucci, Gilles Pargneaux, Piernicola Pedicini, Pavel Poc, Marcus Pretzell, Frédérique Ries, Daciana Octavia Sârbu, Annie Schreijer-Pierik, Davor Škrlec, Dubravka Šuica, Tibor Szanyi, Claudiu Ciprian Tănăsescu, Damiano Zoffoli

Substitutes present for the final vote

Renata Briano, Nicola Caputo, Mark Demesmaeker, Esther Herranz García, Jan Huitema, Merja Kyllönen, James Nicholson, Aldo Patriciello, Gabriele Preuß, Bart Staes

Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote

Marek Jurek, Emilian Pavel, Catherine Stihler