Work
29.October 2004 - 00:00
National allocation plans
Korhola's question: The Commission is to review, and to submit proposals, for the revision of the Emissions Trading Directive by mid-2006. By that same date, the Member States must submit their national allocation plans (NAP) to the Commission, which means that the new elements will be taken into account only with regard to the trading period that is scheduled to begin in 2013.
Does the Commission see any possibility of amending this timeframe (bringing forward the revision and/or putting back the deadline by which the Member States must submit their national allocation plans for the second trading period) so that changes could be introduced in time for the second trading period 2008-2012?
Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission
According to Article 9 of the Emissions Trading Directive(1), Member States are required to publish and notify their national allocation plans at least 18 months before the beginning of the trading period 2008-2012.
Article 30 of the Directive provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Parliament and the Coucil by 30 June 2006. In principle, the Commission could submit this report early, as suggested by the Honourable Member. However, for two reasons this would not appear to be appropriate.
First, any amendment to the Directive would have to agreed by co-decision. It is therefore unlikely that this could be completed sufficiently in advance of 30 June 2006 to allow Member States to take new elements into account when preparing their second national allocation plans.
Second, the Commission believes that it would be premature to amend the emissions trading scheme before it has operated for a full year. The Commission would prefer to let operators and Governments to accustom themselves with this new instrument before it is further modified. The Commission will, of course, carefully monitor the functioning of the scheme during the first year and into 2006 and will then report on its findings to the European Parliament and the Council as required by the Directive. Any proposals for amendments contained in that report will as far as possible be based on experience with the actual functioning of the scheme and its observed effects.
However, Article 22 of the Directive allows the Commission to amend some of the criteria in Annex III to the Directive through the Regulatory Committee and such amendments could be made earlier, if amendments were to be found appropriate.
(1) Directive 2003/87/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC, OJ L 275, 25.10.2003
Korhola's question: The Commission is to review, and to submit proposals, for the revision of the Emissions Trading Directive by mid-2006. By that same date, the Member States must submit their national allocation plans (NAP) to the Commission, which means that the new elements will be taken into account only with regard to the trading period that is scheduled to begin in 2013.
Does the Commission see any possibility of amending this timeframe (bringing forward the revision and/or putting back the deadline by which the Member States must submit their national allocation plans for the second trading period) so that changes could be introduced in time for the second trading period 2008-2012?
Answer given by Mr Dimas on behalf of the Commission
According to Article 9 of the Emissions Trading Directive(1), Member States are required to publish and notify their national allocation plans at least 18 months before the beginning of the trading period 2008-2012.
Article 30 of the Directive provides that the Commission shall submit a report to the Parliament and the Coucil by 30 June 2006. In principle, the Commission could submit this report early, as suggested by the Honourable Member. However, for two reasons this would not appear to be appropriate.
First, any amendment to the Directive would have to agreed by co-decision. It is therefore unlikely that this could be completed sufficiently in advance of 30 June 2006 to allow Member States to take new elements into account when preparing their second national allocation plans.
Second, the Commission believes that it would be premature to amend the emissions trading scheme before it has operated for a full year. The Commission would prefer to let operators and Governments to accustom themselves with this new instrument before it is further modified. The Commission will, of course, carefully monitor the functioning of the scheme during the first year and into 2006 and will then report on its findings to the European Parliament and the Council as required by the Directive. Any proposals for amendments contained in that report will as far as possible be based on experience with the actual functioning of the scheme and its observed effects.
However, Article 22 of the Directive allows the Commission to amend some of the criteria in Annex III to the Directive through the Regulatory Committee and such amendments could be made earlier, if amendments were to be found appropriate.
(1) Directive 2003/87/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC, OJ L 275, 25.10.2003