THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at national and Union level relevant to climate change and repealing Decision No 280/2004/EC, and in particular Article 10(5) and (6) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol adopted the Doha amendment, establishing a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, starting on 1 January 2013 and ending on 31 December 2020 (‘the Doha Amendment’). The Union approved the Doha Amendment by Council Decision (EU) 2015/1339 (the Ratification Decision).
(2)
The necessary technical implementation of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol should be carried out in the Union Registry and in the national Kyoto Protocol registries. It is also necessary to ensure consistency with Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Decision No 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and a consistent implementation of internationally agreed accounting requirements, to optimise transparency and to ensure accuracy of the accounting of AAUs, RMUs, ERUs, CERs, tCERs and lCERs by the Union and the Member States, while avoiding, to the extent possible, administrative burdens and costs, including those relating to share of proceeds and IT development and maintenance.
(3)
Once the Doha Amendment enters into force, the Union and the Member States will be required to issue in their respective Kyoto Protocol registries assigned amount units (AAUs) equal to their assigned amount determined in accordance with the Ratification Decision, adding any amounts resulting from the application of Article 3(7bis) of the Kyoto Protocol.
(4)
Following any upwards adjustment of a Member State annual emission allocation under Article 10 of Decision No 406/2009/EC or Article 27 of Regulation (EU) No 525/2013, it may have to acquire additional AAUs at the end of the second commitment period if it used this additional annual emission allocation to cover its emissions under Decision No 406/2009/EC or transferred it to another Member State. A Member State concerned may also use its Previous Period Surplus Reserve referred to in Article 3(13b) of Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 if its emissions are higher than its assigned amount. Any resulting AAU acquisition would be subject to the application of the share of the proceeds on the first international transfer of AAUs referred to in Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) No 525/2013. Where appropriate, such situations may be considered accounting inconsistencies in matching the implementation of Union legislation with the rules agreed under the Kyoto Protocol within the meaning of Article 10(7) of Regulation (EU) No 525/2013.
(5)
A clearing process at the end of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol should be established to provide for the settlement in AAUs of any net transfers of annual emission allocations in accordance with Decision No 406/2009/EC.
(6)
In accordance with Article 11a of Directive 2003/87/EC, stationary installation and aircraft operators can exchange CERs and ERUs for allowances. Exchanged CERs and ERUs valid for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol potentially represent EU ETS emissions in the second commitment period. Since the Doha Amendment establishes limits on the carry-over of CERs and ERUs from the first to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, Member States should transfer to the Union a corresponding number of AAUs valid for the first commitment period to cover these potential emissions and the Union should transfer to the Member States the corresponding CERs and ERUs valid for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol received from stationary installation and aircraft operators in exchange for allowances.
(7)
Commission Regulation (EU) No 389/2013 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(8)
This Regulation should enter into force as a matter of urgency as it is necessary to perform transitional transfers before the end of the additional period for fulfilling commitments under the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol referred to in Article 11(2) of Regulation (EU) No 525/2013.
(9)
This Regulation should apply as of the date of entry into force of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, except in so far as it provides for transitional transfers,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: