Activities of Julie GIRLING related to 2012/0042(COD)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on accounting rules and action plans on greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities related to land use, land use change and forestry PDF (479 KB) DOC (667 KB)
Amendments (51)
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Article 9 of Decision No 406/2009/EC requires the Commission to assess modalities to include greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities related to land use, land use change and forestry into the Union’s greenhouse gas emission reduction commitment, whilst ensuring the permanence and environmental integrity of the contribution of the sector, and providing for accurate monitoring and accounting of the relevant emissions and removals. This Decision should, therefore, as a first step, set out accounting rules applicable to greenhouse gas emissions and removals from the LULUCF sector. To ensure the preservation and enhancement of carbon stocks in the interim, it should also provide for Member States to adopt LULUCF Action Plans setting out measuresinclude measures to encourage sustainable forest management and sustainable land management to limit or reduce emissions, and to maintain or increase removals, from the LULUCF sector, in their low-carbon growth strategies.
Amendment 31 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The 17th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, meeting in Durban in December 2011, adopted Decision - 2/CMP.7 of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (‘Decision -2/CMP.7’) and Decision 16/CMP.1. Thatose decisions set out rules for accounting for the LULUCF sector as of a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. This Decision should be in line with thatose decisions to ensure an appropriate level of coherence between the Union’s internal rules and methodologies agreed within the UNFCCC to avoid any duplication of national reporting. This Decision should also reflect the particularities of the Union LULUCF sector.
Amendment 33 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The LULUCF accounting rules should reflect efforts made in the agriculture and forestry sectors to enhance the contribution of changes made to the use of land resources to the reduction of emissions. This Decision should provide for accounting rules applicable on a mandatory basis to the forestry activities of afforestation, reforestation, deforestation and forest management, and. It should also provide for accounting rules applicable on a voluntary basis to the agricultural activities of grazing land management and cropland management. It should also provide for accounting rules applicable on a voluntary basis and to revegetation and, wetland drainage and rewetting activities.
Amendment 39 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point q
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point q
(q) ‘forest’ is an area of land of at least 0.5 hectare,land with tree crown cover (or an equivalent stocking level) of at leastmore than 10 per cent of the area, covered with trees with the potentialand area of more than 0.5 hectare. The trees should be able to reach a minimum height of at least 5 metres at maturity at in situ. A forest may consist eitheir place of growth, including groups of growing young natural trees, or a plantation that has yet to reach a tree crown cover or equivalent stocking level of at least 10 per cent of the areaof closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground, or of open forest formations with a continuous vegetation cover in which tree crown cover exceeds 10 percent. Young natural stands and all plantations established for forestry purposes which have yet to reach a crown density of 10 percent or tree height of at least 5 metres, are including any area thated, as are areas normally formsing part of the forest area but on which therewhich are temporarily no treesunstocked as a result of human intervention, such as harvesting, or as a result of natural causes, but which area can be expected to revert to for or natural causes but which are expected to revert to forest. ‘Forest’ includes: forest nurseries and seed orchards that constitute an integral part of the forest; forest roads, cleared tracts, firebreaks and other small open areas within the forest; forest in national parks, nature reserves and other protected areas such as those of special environmental, scientific, historical, cultural or spiritual interest; windbreaks and shelterbelts of trees with an area of more than 0.5 hectare and a width of more than 20 metres, rubberwood plantations and cork oak stands. ‘Forest’ excludes land predominantly used for agricultural practicest;
Amendment 41 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point t
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point t
(t) ‘natural disturbances’ is any non- anthropogenicare non- anthropogenic events or non- anthropogenic circumstances. For the purposes of this Decision, these events or circumstances are those that causes significant emissions in forests or agricultural soils and the occurrence of which is beyond the control of the relevant Member State provided the Member State is also objectively unable to significantly limit the effect of the event or circumstance, even after its occurrence, on emissions; and are beyond the control of, and not materially influenced by, a Member State. These may include wildfires, insect and disease infestations, extreme weather events, including droughts and floods, and/or geographical disturbances, beyond the control of, and not materially influenced by, a Member State. These exclude harvesting and prescribed burning;
Amendment 44 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Amendment 46 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Amendment 50 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Member States may also choose to draw up and maintain accounts for the first accounting period that accurately reflect emissions and removals resulting from cropland management and grazing land management, revegetation, and wetland drainage and rewetting.
Amendment 58 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
Article 7 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 1 – point c a (new)
(ca) wood for energy.
Amendment 61 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. In accounts relating to cropland management and grazing land management, Member States shallthe event that a Member State elects to draw up and maintain accounts for categories referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 3(1), it shall, without prejudice to any future decision on international accounting rules reflect emissions and removals resulting from such activities, calculated as emissions and removals in each accounting period specified in Annex I, minus the value obtained by multiplying the number of years in that accounting period by a Member State’'s emissions and removals resulting from such activities in its base year, as submitted to the UNFCCC in that Member States reviewed initial report on base year emission data pursuant to the Annex of Decision 13/CMP.1.
Amendment 62 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Member States may exclude non- anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources in accordance with paragraph 1 from calculations relevant to from the accounting, eitheir accounting obligations pursuant to points (a), (b) and (d) of Article 3(1) where those non-anthropogenic greenhouse gasannually, or at the end of the second commitment period, emissions from such natural disturbances that in any single year exceed 5 per cent of the total emissions of a Member State in its base year as submitted to the UNFCCC in that Member States reviewed initial report on base year emission data pursuant to the Annex of Decision 13/CMP.1 excluding emissions and removals from activities referred to in Article 3(1), provided that the following conditions are met:the forest management background level, plus margin, where a margin is needed.
Amendment 73 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 2
Recital 2
(2) Article 9 of Decision No 406/2009/EC requires the Commission to assess modalities to include greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities related to land use, land use change and forestry into the Union's greenhouse gas emission reduction commitment, whilst ensuring the permanence and environmental integrity of the contribution of the sector, and providing for accurate monitoring and accounting of the relevant emissions and removals. This Decision should, therefore, as a first step, set out accounting rules applicable to greenhouse gas emissions and removals from the LULUCF sector. To ensure the preservation and enhancement of carbon stocks in the interim, it should also provide for Member States to adopt LULUCF Action Plans setting out measuresinclude measures to encourage sustainable forest management and sustainable land management to limit or reduce emissions, and to maintain or increase removals, from the LULUCF sector, in their low-carbon growth strategies.
Amendment 80 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 3
Recital 3
(3) The 17th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, meeting in Durban in December 2011, adopted Decision - 2/CMP.7 of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (‘Decision -2/CMP.7’) and Decision 16/CMP.1. That decision set out rules for accounting for the LULUCF sector as of a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. This Decision should be in line with that decision to ensure an appropriate level of coherence between the Union's internal rules and methodologies agreed within the UNFCCC to avoid any duplication of national reporting. This Decision should also reflect the particularities of the Union LULUCF sector.
Amendment 88 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 4
Recital 4
(4) The LULUCF accounting rules should reflect efforts made in the agriculture and forestry sectors to enhance the contribution of changes made to the use of land resources to the reduction of emissions. This Decision should provide for accounting rules applicable on a mandatory basis to the forestry activities of afforestation, reforestation, deforestation and forest management, and to. It should also provide for accounting rules applicable on a voluntary basis for the agricultural activities of grazing land management and cropland management. It should also provide for accounting rules applicable on a voluntary basis and to revegetation and, wetland drainage and rewetting activities.
Amendment 113 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 12
Recital 12
Amendment 124 #
Proposal for a decision
Recital 13
Recital 13
(13) The power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission to update the definitions laid down in Article 2 in the light of changes to definitions adopted by the bodies of the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol or other multilateral agreement relevant to climate change concluded by the Union, to amend Annex I to add accounting periods and ensure consistency between those accounting periods ands arising in the arelevant periods applicable to Union emission reduction commitments in other sectors, to amend Annex II with updated reference levels in accordance with the proposed reference levels submitted by Member States pursuant to Article 6 subject to corrections made in accordance with this Decisiona of climate change with which the Union must comply, to revise the information specified in Annex III in accordance with scientific progress and to revise the conditions relating to the accounting rules for natural disturbances laid down in Article 9(2) in the light of scientific progress or to reflect revisionto minor changes to acts adopted by the UNFCCC or Kyoto Protocol bodies. It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level. The Commission, when preparing and drawing-up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and Council.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 1
Article 1
This Decision sets out accounting rules applicable to emissions and removals resulting from land use, land use change and forestry activities. It also provides for Member State LULUCF Action Plans to limit or reduce emissions and to maintain or increase removals, and for the evaluation of those plans by the Commission.
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point q
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point q
(q) ‘'forest’' is an minimum area of land of at least 0.5,05-1,0 hectare, with tree crown cover (or an equivalent stocking level) of at least 10 per cent of the area, coveredmore than 10-30 per cent with trees with the potential to reach a minimum height of at least 2-5 metres at maturity at in situ. A forest may consist eitheir place of growth, including groups of growing young natural trees, or aof closed forest formations where trees of various storeys and undergrowth cover a high proportion of the ground or open forest. Young natural stands and all plantation thats which hasve yet to reach a tree crown cover or equivalent stocking level of at least 10 per cent of the areadensity of 10-30 per cent or tree height of at least 2-5 metres, are including any area thated under forest, as are areas normally formsing part of the forest area but on which therewhich are temporarily no treesunstocked as a result of human intervention, such as harvesting, or as a result of natural causes, but which area can be expected to revert to forest;
Amendment 147 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point t
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point t
(t) ‘'natural disturbance’ is any non- anthropogenics' are non- anthropogenic events or non- anthropogenic circumstances. For the purposes of this Decision, these events or circumstances are those that causes significant emissions in forests or agricultural soils and the occurrence of which is beyond the control of the relevant Member State provided the Member State is also objectively unable to significantly limit the effect of and are beyond the control of, and not materially influenced by, a Member State. These may include wildfires, insect and disease infestations, extreme weather event or circumsts and/or geographical disturbances, even after its occurrence, on emissionsbeyond the control of, and not materially influenced by, a Member State. These exclude harvesting and prescribed burning;
Amendment 148 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point t a (new)
(ta) "background level" is the average of consistent and initially complete time series containing 1990-2009 emissions associated with natural disturbances after the application of an iterative process to remove outliers, based on twice the standard deviation around the mean until no outliers can be identified. Alternatively, Member States may apply a transparent and comparable country- specific approach using a consistent and initially complete time series of data including for a period containing 1990- 2009. All approaches shall avoid the expectation of net credits during the commitment period. If a Member State's forest management reference level does not include a background level of emissions, for the application of the background as referred to in Article 9(2), a value for the background level shall be estimated by applying the first approach mentioned above. Where the background level is defined as above, the margin would be equal twice the standard deviation on the time series defining the background level. In the case that the background level is defined using the country-specific approach or the Member State's reference level is zero, the Member State must describe how a margin is established, where a margin is needed. All approaches should avoid the expectation of net credits during the commitment period.
Amendment 149 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point u
Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point u
(u) ‘'half-life value’' is the number of years it takes for the carbon content ofquantity of carbon stored in a wood product to decrease to one half of its initial quantityvalue;
Amendment 153 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 2 – paragraph 2
Article 2 – paragraph 2
2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 12 to amend the definitions in paragraph 1 of this Article for the purpose of updatingto ensure consistency between those definitions in the light ofand any changes to relevant definitions adopted by the bodies of the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol, or other multilateral agreement relevant to climate change concluded by the Unions arising in the area of climate change with which the Union must comply.
Amendment 167 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point e
Amendment 176 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 – point f
Amendment 184 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Member States may also choose to draw up and maintain accounts for the first accounting period that accurately reflect emissions and removals resulting from cropland management and grazing land management, revegetation, and wetland drainage and rewetting.
Amendment 191 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 3 – paragraph 3
Article 3 – paragraph 3
3. Member States shall include in their accounts a particularny activity referred to in paragraph 1 as of the onset of the activity or from 1 January 2013as of the beginning of the commitment period, whichever is thecomes later.
Amendment 194 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 2
Article 4 – paragraph 2
2. Emissions and removals resulting from any activity falling within one or more categories of activity referred to in Article 3(1) shall only be accounted for under one category to prevent double accounting.
Amendment 197 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 4 – paragraph 7
Article 4 – paragraph 7
7. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 12 to amend Annex IAny amendment to the accounting rules set out in this Article including changes to addthe accounting periods and to ensure consistency between those accounting periods and the relevant periods applicable to Union emission reduction commitments in other sectorsset out in Annex I, shall be adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure.
Amendment 203 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 4
Article 6 – paragraph 4
4. No later than one year before the end of each accounting period, Member States shall communicate to the Commission proposed revised reference levels for the following accounting period in accordance with the methodology in Decision -/CMP.7 used for calculating the reference levels set out in that decision.
Amendment 207 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 5
Article 6 – paragraph 5
5. If there are changes to the relevant provisions of Decision -/CMP.7, the Member States shall communicate to the Commission proposed revised reference levels reflecting those changes no later than six months after the adoption of those changes.
Amendment 211 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 6
Article 6 – paragraph 6
6. If improved methodologies become available allowing a Member State to calculate reference levels in a significantly more accurate manner or where there are significant improvements in the quality of data available to a Member State, the Member State concerned shall communicate to the Commission proposed revised reference levels reflecting those changes without delay.
Amendment 215 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 7
Article 6 – paragraph 7
7. For the purposes of paragraphs 4, 5 and 6, Member States shall specify the amount of annual emissions resulting from natural disturbances which have been included in their proposed revised reference levels and the manner in which they estimated that amount.
Amendment 216 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 8
Article 6 – paragraph 8
Amendment 225 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 9
Article 6 – paragraph 9
Amendment 230 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 6 – paragraph 10
Article 6 – paragraph 10
Amendment 250 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 8 – paragraph 1
Article 8 – paragraph 1
1. In accounts relating to cropland management and grazing land management, Member States shallthe event that a Member State elects to draw up and maintain accounts for categories referred to in the second subparagraph of Article 3(1), it shall, without prejudice to any future decision on international accounting rules reflect emissions and removals resulting from such activities, calculated as emissions and removals in each accounting period specified in Annex I, minus the value obtained by multiplying the number of years in that accounting period by a Member State's emissions and removals resulting from such activities in its base year, as submitted to the UNFCCC in that Member State's reviewed initial report on base year emission data pursuant to the Annex of Decision 13/CMP.1.
Amendment 256 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 9 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Member States may exclude non- anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions by sources in accordance with paragraph 1 from calculations relevant to from the accounting, eitheir accounting obligations pursuant to points (a), (b) and (d) of Article 3(1) where those non-anthropogenic greenhouse gasnnually, or at the end of the second commitment period, emissions from such natural disturbances that in any single year exceed 5 per cent of the total emissions of a Member State in its base year as submitted to the UNFCCC in that Member State's reviewed initial report on base year emission data pursuant to the Annex of Decision 13/CMP.1 excluding emissions and removals from activities referred to in Article 3(1), provided that the following conditions are met:the forest management background level, plus margin, where a margin is needed.
Amendment 259 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 9 – paragraph 5
Article 9 – paragraph 5
5. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 12 to revise the conditions referred to in the first subparagraph of paragraph 2 in the light of scientific progress or to reflect revisionto reflect minor changes to acts adopted by UNFCCC or Kyoto Protocol bodies.
Amendment 269 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1
No later than sixeighteen months after the beginning of each accounting period specified in Annex I, Member States shall draw up and transmit to the Commission draft LULUCF Action Plans to limit or reduce emissions and maintain or increase removals resulting from the activities referred to in Article 3(1). Member Stathe first subparagraph of Article 3(1) and where systems shall ensuare in place and data available from activities referred that a broad range of stakeholders are consultedo in Subparagraph 2 of Article 3(1). Member States shall consult with stakeholders in drawing up action plans.
Amendment 273 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2
The draft LULUCF Action Plans shall cover the duration of the relevant accounting period specified in Annex I.
Amendment 278 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – introductory part
2. Member States shall includeconsider including the following in their draft LULUCF Action Plans the following information relating to each of the activities referred to inrelating to the first subparagraph of Article 3(1) and where systems are already in place and data available relating to in Subparagraph 2 of Article 3(1):
Amendment 282 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point d
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point d
(d) a list of measures, including, as appropriate, those specified in Annex IV, to be adopted in order to pursue the mitigation potential, where identified in accorpolicies foreseen to promote and foster sustainable forest management and sustainable land management. Member States may ask the Commission to provide technical and operational guidance withon the analysis refmatters coverred to inby this point (c).;
Amendment 283 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point e
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point e
Amendment 284 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f
Article 10 – paragraph 2 – point f
Amendment 297 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1
The Commission shall evaluate a Member State's draft LULUCF Action Plan within three months of receiving all relevant information from that Member State. The Commission shall publish the results of that evaluation and may issue recommendations, as appropriate, with a view to enhance Member States‘ efforts to limit or reduce emissions and maintain or increase removalpublish a synthesis report of Member States' Action Plans.
Amendment 300 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Article 10 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 2
Amendment 305 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 4
Article 10 – paragraph 4
4. Member States shall submit to the Commission, by the date falling in the mid-point of each accounting period specified in Annex I, and by the end of each accounting period specified in Annex I, a report describing the progress in the implementation of their LULUCF Action Plans. The Commission shall publish a synthesis report on the progress of implementation of Member States' Action Plans.
Amendment 307 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 – paragraph 5
Article 10 – paragraph 5
Amendment 312 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a (new)
Article 10 a Reporting and monitoring obligations Member States shall undertake to fulfil their monitoring and reporting obligations with regard to emissions and removals resulting from activities in the context of this decision in line with Regulation (EU) No .../... [Commission proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at nation and Union level relevant to climate change (COM (2011)0789 final – 2011/0372(COD)].
Amendment 314 #
Proposal for a decision
Article 12 – paragraph 2
Article 12 – paragraph 2
2. The delegation of power referred to in Articles 2(2), 4(7), 6(9), 7(6) and 9(4) shall be conferred on the Commission for an indeterminate period of time period not exceeding 5 years from the date of entry into force of this Decision.
Amendment 324 #
Proposal for a decision
Annex IV
Annex IV
Annex deleted