Brussels, 08/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on 7 October, the European Parliament environment committee gave its determined and almost unanimous backing to the targets proposed by the European Commission for sharing, among member states, the burden of the 20% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020 (compared with 1990). But they went far too far.
They called on member states to prepare, as of now, for the -30% for 2020, to reduce the EU emissions level by at least 50% by 2035, and by 60-80% by 2050, and they said that member states not meeting their national targets should be fined. The 65 MEPs present at the meeting voted unanimously for the compromise negotiated by Satu Hassi (Greens, Finland), rapporteur on the proposal for a directive on sharing the efforts to be made among member states for the sectors not covered by the emissions trading system (ETS). This affects road and maritime transport, buildings, services, agriculture and small industrial plants.
The text as adopted states that any member state which does not comply with its target will have to pay a penalty for excessive emissions equivalent to the amount that would be paid in fines under the ETS, that is, €100 per tonne of excess CO2 equivalent. And if the member state did not pay up, the excess emissions would be deducted from the emissions allowances put up for auction by member states under the terms of the ETS. It would be up to the Commission to put them up for auction, and the revenue generated thereby would be invested in a Community fund for research, development, promoting the use of renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency in the EU. Furthermore, member states exceeding their target would be required to compensate for this the following year.
Conversely, member states which come below their emissions cap should be able to transfer, sell or lend part of their emissions allowances to another member state which is having difficulty to help it meet its target, MEPs say. In that event, the revenue from these transfers should be invested in energy efficiency, renewable energy of environmentally friendly transport.
MEPs also reduced the amount member states can “offset” - investing in greenhouse gas reduction projects in third countries under the UN's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) - by a third. Such project credits may only represent up to 8% of their 2005 emissions over the whole period from 2013 to 2020 (the Commission proposed 3% per year).
Hassi said she was pleased and relieved at the outcome on this issue which, she said was subject to less lobbying than that of her colleague Avril Doyle, rapporteur on the revision of the ETS (see EUROPE 9756). “I deal with ETS sectors, such as urban heating and transport, which nevertheless account for half of EU emissions,” she pointed out, happy that the environment committee had reworked the wriggle room cutting down loop holes and strengthening the mechanism ensuring compliance with the system. An EP-Council agreement by December remains the priority. (A.N./transl.rt)