The EU Climate change policy

The European Union is at the forefront of international efforts to combat climate change and has played a key role in the development of the two major treaties addressing the issue, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.

Under the Protocol, the EU-15 committed itself to reduce GHG emissions by 8% by 2008-2012 as compared to 1990 (Council Decision 2002/358/EC). This target was distributed among the 15 Member States to allow varying levels of emissions. Under this system of "burden sharing", wealthier Member States would take a higher percentage of reductions, permitting less economically developed Member States to implement moderate increases in emissions growth. Most of the 10 new Member States have the same -8% target, with some exceptions: the target for Hungary and Poland is -6%, while Cyprus and Malta have no target.

In March 2000 the European Commission, after consultation with all the relevant stakeholders (e.g., Member States, industry and environmental groups), launched the first European Climate Change Programme (ECCP), which represents the main instrument to discuss and prepare the further development of the EU's climate policy. The ECCP led to the adoption of a range of new policies and measures, among which the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, which started its operation on 1 January 2005, will play a key role. The second European Climate Change Programme (ECCP II) was launched in October 2005.

On 9 February 2005, the Commission on adopted the Communication on "Winning the Battle Against Climate Change", which outlines the key elements for the EU's post-2012 strategy, including the need for broader participation by countries and sectors not already subject to emissions reductions, the development of low-carbon technologies, the continued and expanded use of market mechanisms, and the need to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change.

Source: DG Environment's web page on Climate Change