Brussels, 18/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 17 October, a step forward was taken in implementation of the 2009 climate/energy legislative package, with translation into figures of the “effort sharing” to be made by the various member states in order to allow the EU to reach its climate targets by 2020 (20% reduction in emissions compared to the 1990 level). On Wednesday, the EU's committee on climate change, composed of representatives of the 27 EU member states and of the European Commission, approved annual greenhouse gas emissions ceilings for the period 2013-2020 in sectors of activity that are not currently covered by the EU's emissions quota trading system (the so-called non-ETS sectors). Such sectors include transport, building, agriculture and waste. Although not covered by the ETS, forestry activity is not concerned.
The draft decision approved by the committee sets out the ceilings in tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year and per member state, and sets out the “effort sharing decision” between the 27 EU member states (Decision 406/2009/EC). That decision sets binding national emission reduction or limitation targets for 2020, expressed as percentage changes from 2005 levels (the reference year) to collectively reach a 10% reduction of EU emissions compared to 2005. The draft decision also fixes annual emission allocations (AEA) for Croatia, which is expected to join the European Union on 1 July 2013.
The AEAs were calculated by taking account of global warming values contained in the fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The directive on effort sharing for non-ETS sectors will make it an obligation for all sectors other than major industry to reduce EU emissions by 10% compared to the 2005 level. (AN/transl.jl)