Regulation 2013/525 - Mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at national and Union level relevant to climate change - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 165/13

Decision No 280/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 concerning a mechanism for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the Kyoto Protocol (4) established a framework for monitoring anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources and greenhouse gas removals by sinks, evaluating progress towards meeting commitments in respect of those emissions and implementing monitoring and reporting requirements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (5) and the Kyoto Protocol (6) in the Union. In order to take into account recent and future developments at international level relating to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, and in order to implement new monitoring and reporting requirements provided for in Union law, Decision No 280/2004/EC should be replaced.

Decision No 280/2004/EC should be replaced by a Regulation on account of the broader scope of Union law, the inclusion of additional categories of persons to which obligations are addressed, the more complex and highly technical nature of provisions introduced, the increased need for uniform rules applicable throughout the Union, and in order to facilitate implementation.

The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. In order to meet that objective, the overall global annual mean surface temperature increase should not exceed 2 °C above pre-industrial levels.

There is a need for thorough monitoring and reporting, and for regular assessment of Union and Member States’ greenhouse gas emissions and of their efforts to address climate change.

Decision 1/CP.15 of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (Decision 1/CP.15) and Decision 1/CP.16 of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (Decision 1/CP.16) contributed significantly to progress in addressing the challenges raised by climate change in a balanced manner. Those Decisions introduced new monitoring and reporting requirements that apply to the implementation of ambitious emission reductions to which the Union and its Member States have committed themselves, and provided support to developing countries. Those Decisions also recognised the importance of addressing adaptation with the same priority as mitigation. Decision 1/CP.16 also requires that developed countries develop low-carbon development strategies or plans. Such strategies or plans are expected to contribute towards building a low-carbon society and ensure continued high growth and sustainable development, as well as moving in a cost-effective manner towards the long-term climate target, giving due consideration to the intermediary stages. This Regulation should facilitate the implementation of those monitoring and reporting...