European Climate Change Programme

01 September 2009
by inadim -- last modified 03 September 2009

The European Commission launched the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) in June 2000. The goal of the ECCP is to identify and develop all the necessary elements of an EU strategy to implement the Kyoto Protocol. The development of the first ECCP involved all the relevant groups of stakeholders working together, including representatives from the Commission’s different departments (DGs), the Member States, industry and environmental groups. The second European Climate Change Programme (ECCP II) was launched in October 2005.

Second European Climate Change Programme (ECCP II)

In the Communication "Winning the battle against climate change", the Commission announced it would launch the Second European Climate Change Programme (ECCP II) by the end of 2005. The European Climate Change Programme is the Commission's main instrument to discuss and prepare the further development of the EU's climate policy. As before, the Commission plans to run this Programme in close cooperation with a wide range of stakeholders.

The second European Climate Change Programme (ECCP II) was launched on 24 October 2005. The ECCP II consists of several working groups:

1) ECCP I review (with 5 subgroups: transport, energy supply, energy demand, non-CO2 gases, agriculture)

2) aviation

3) CO2 and cars

4) carbon capture and storage

5) adaptation

6) EU Emission Trading System review

The ECCP I Review

Primary objectives of the ECCP I review working group were threefold:

• review the implementation of climate change related EU-wide policies and measures,
• assess their concrete implementation in the Member States and the resulting actual and projected emission reductions,
• identify new opportunities for potential emission reductions.

The 5 working groups under the ECCP I review had a total of 10 meetings (2 meetings per group) and the results of the meetings were presented in a plenary session on 2 May 2006. Each working group produced a report based on the discussion that took place in the meetings and the plenary session, which can found below.

In brief, the general assessment of the ECCP I showed many differences of implementation in the Member States. It also indicated that the existing database is, as yet, not detailed enough to fully assess the impacts of individual policies and measures on greenhouse gas emissions in thorough quantitative manner. In an attempt to fill this gap the Commission is planning some further methodological work to start in 2007. Thus, the working groups in many instances had to limit their discussions to rather qualitative assessments which included the opportunities for further development of EU climate change policies.

In order to further explore this future emission reduction potential, the Commission has launched in June 2006 a study which focuses on the sectoral emission reduction potentials and economic costs for climate change. This study is expected to deliver its final results in June 2008. The main objective is to identify the least-cost contribution of different sectors and gases for meeting post-2012 EU 25+ (EU 25, Romania, Bulgaria and if possible Croatia and Turkey) quantitative reduction objectives for all greenhouse gases, and to determine a package of cost-effective policies and measures for all sectors and gases towards meeting these objectives. This study will serve as the basis for evaluation of new policies and measures especially to meet post-2012 targets.

Source: European Commission