Brussels, 28/07/2006 (Agence Europe) - Almost one month after the deadline of 30 June 2006, only five of the 25 EU Member States have submitted to the European Commission their National Allocation Plans for the second phase of the EU emissions trading scheme (for 2008-2012), namely Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Ireland. Nine other countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Italy) have submitted draft plans but the other twelve Member States have not taken any measures at all to comply with the EU greenhouse gas legislation. The World Wide Fund for Nature, WWF, slams not only the delay but also the flimsiness of most National Allocation Plans.
Of the five Member States which produce three quarters of EU greenhouse gas emissions, namely the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland, the most ambitious plans have been submitted by Italy and Spain, which plan a 13% and a 16% in emissions respectively. The European Commission recommended that the number of emission allowances allocated for 2008-2012 should be 6% lower than the over-generous quotas for the first phase (2005-2007), the UK has only proposed a 2.9% cut, and Germany 3.4%. Poland is planning a 17 rise in its volume of quotas.
'Not only the delay, but the flimsiness of most National Allocation Plans shows that European countries are underestimating the urgent need to fight climate change, which is already affecting people's lives,' said Delia Villagrasa, Emissions Trading Expert at WWR European Policy Office.
The WWF explains that EU Member States are running away from their responsibilities by encouraging industry to buy carbon credits delivered by projects in developing and transition countries (via the clean development mechanism and joint implementation, two market tools outlined in the Kyoto Protocol, Ed.). 'Spanish industries will be allowed to compensate (for) 50% of their emissions in this way, Polish ones 25%, while British, Italian and German approximately 10%,' explains the WWF, adding: 'this option should be used only for up to 3% of the allocations for each installation and if the cleanest and best projects are used. Otherwise, buying cheap credits from overseas could divert attention from the need to reduce emissions domestically.'
Another weakness picked up on by the WWF is the way 'pollution permits' are allocated to industry. 'Instead of benefitting from the possibility to auction up to 10% of emission allowances, most countries jut award them free of charge or use a system benefitting the most polluting technology. Auctioning has the potential to (encourage) further emissions reductions and create revenues for other protection measures against climate change. However, Germany, Italy and Spain are not planning any auctioning. Poland plans to auction only 1%, while the UK plans to auction up to 7% of its allowances,' explains the WWF.