The Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU and representatives from the European Parliament reached an informal inter-institutional agreement on Thursday 21 December. This agreement relates to the draft regulation on effort-sharing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from sectors that are not covered by the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) – transport, buildings, agriculture and waste.
Between 2021 and 2030, these sectors, which are responsible for around 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions, will have to reduce their emissions by 30% compared to 2005 levels. Over this period, each member state will have to meet annual emissions reduction targets, calculated on the basis of per capita wealth produced.
One of the last remaining questions to be settled was the starting point for calculating the greenhouse gas emissions trajectory for the member states. The starting point will be based on the average emissions from 2016 to 2018 as proposed by the Commission with the start of the trajectory calculation at 2019 and 5 months or in 2020, whichever results in a lower allocation for that member state.
Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy MEP said: “Negotiations held last week Wednesday in Strasbourg failed to reach a deal, but after additional negotiations this week, lawmakers reached an agreement this afternoon”. In a press release, he criticised the “many member states doing their utmost to keep their climate actions to the minimum”.
To meet their targets, the member states will be able to use two new tightly framed flexibilities: the one-off ETS flexibility for allocations to member states under the ETS system and the other in line with new rules governing the inclusion of forestry and agricultural activities in the fight against climate change (Lulucf regulation, see EUROPE 11926).
A safety reserve is also introduced to help EU countries with low revenues and which have already made early efforts to reduce their emissions but which will have difficulties in attaining their 2030 target. This will ultimately rise to €105 million – €10 million less than the amount initially set out by the member states (see EUROPE 11883).
Specific provisions have been maintained to manage the situation, particularly in Malta and Latvia, which will benefit from an additional allowance in quotas to the tune of 2 million tons of CO2 in 2021.
Commissioner for Climate Action Miguel Arias Cañete, welcomed the agreement which, he said, proved the Union’s determination to remain in the forefront of action against global warming by taking concrete action itself.
The inter-institutional agreement was sent to the member states in order for them to provide a response by next January. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)