GREENHOUSE GASES: MEMBER STATES SHAPING UP REPORTING UNDER THE EMISSION TRADING SCHEME

Published: 13 Mar 2008 - The European Union is running the largest multi-country, multi-sector greenhouse gas Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) world-wide. A report presented today by the European Environment Agency shows that the implementation of the ETS is improving. For the reporting year 2007, all Member States have delivered information on their experience in accordance with Article 21 of the Emissions Trading Directive.

The report reveals, however, that there is still room for further alignments — such as the application of the guidelines on monitoring and reporting. Some Member States have assessed the comparability of ETS data and national inventory data. Doing so may lead to improved consistency between these two data sources.

The EU ETS has been operational since 2005 and provides a key instrument to promote reductions of greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner. Participating Member States report to the European Commission concerning their enforcement of the Emissions Trading Directive by assessing the monitoring, reporting and verification processes.

The EEA report compiles experience from the 27 EU Member States and shows, for example, how the number of installations submitting reports deemed unsatisfactory has decreased in recent years (from 120 to just 30 up until March 2007). Other findings of the study include a number of fines imposed by Member States on those facilities that were not reported properly.