European Union

Status under International Climate Change Law

  • UNFCCC: signature and ratification (21 Dec 1993)
  • KP: signature and ratification (31 May 2002)
    Quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment: -8
  • Vienna Convention: signature and ratification (17 Oct 1988)
  • Montreal Protocol: signature and ratification (16 Dec 1988)
  • LRTAP: signature and ratification (15 Jul 1982) as well as signature and ratification of 1984, 1988, 1994, 1998 (both) and 1999 Protocols
  • Energy Charter: signatory member (entry into force 16 April 1998)
  • Energy Efficiency Protocol: signatory member (entry into force 16 April 1998)
  • Espoo Convention: signature and ratification (25 Jun 1997)
  • 2030 Commitment: 40% domestic reduction in emissions below 1990 levels by 2030, to be fulfilled jointly by European Union member states; individual emissions commitments by member states until 2020 outlined in Decision No. 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and Council

EU Laws on Climate Change

Legislative instruments (directives available in 27 languages).

Key Legislative Instruments (as of September 2013):

  • Directive 1999/94/EC, amended by Directive 2003/73/EC and Regulation (EC) No. 1882/2003, Information on the fuel consumption and C02 emissions of new cars (2000) to help consumers choose vehicles with low fuel consumption and require dealers of new passenger cars to provide potential buyers with useful information on vehicles’ fuel consumption and C02 emissions.
  • Directive 2002/91/EC, Energy performance of buildings (2002) to require minimum energy performance requirements of new and existing buildings
  • Council Directive 2003/96/EC, Community framework for the taxation of energy products and electricity (2003).
  • Directive 2003/87/EC of the European 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.
    • Amended by:
    • Directive 2004/101/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004, amending Directive 2003/87/EC, establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community, in respect of the Kyoto Protocol’s project mechanisms.
    • Directive 2008/101/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008, amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community. [English, Spanish].
    • Directive 2009/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009, amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the Community.
  • Directive 2005/32/EC, Eco-design requirements for energy-using products (2005) to recast proposal [COM(2008)] 399 and establish a coherent framework for eco-design requirements applied to energy-using products.
  • Regulation [EC] No. 842/2006, reduction in fluorinated greenhouse gases, to reduce emissions of certain fluorinated gases.
  • Decision No. 1982/2006/EC, Seventh Framework Programme (2007) to promote growth and employment.
  • Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2007, on type approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information.
  • Directive 2008/1/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 concerning integrated pollution prevention and control.
  • Directive 2008/50/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe.
  • Commission Regulation (EC) No 692/2008 of 18 July 2008 implementing and amending Regulation (EC) No 715/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on type-approval of motor vehicles with respect to emissions from light passenger and commercial vehicles (Euro 5 and Euro 6) and on access to vehicle repair and maintenance information.
  • Directive 2009/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the geological storage of carbon dioxide and amending Council Directive 85/337/EEC, European Parliament and Council Directives 2000/60/EC, 2001/80/EC, 2004/35/EC, 2006/12/EC, 2008/1/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006.
  • Decision No 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community’s greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020.
    • Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realizing the Potential. Communication from the Commission of 19 October 2006 [COM (2006) 545]. [English, Spanish].
  • Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the Community’s integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
  • Commission Decision of 24 December 2009 determining, pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, a list of sectors and subsectors which are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage.
    • Commission Regulation (EU) No 920/2010 of 7 October 2010 for a standardized and secured system of registries pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and Decision No 280/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.
    • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1031/2010 of 12 November 2010 on the timing, administration and other aspects of auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowances trading within the Community.
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1014/2010 of 10 November 2010 on monitoring and reporting of data on the registration of new passenger cars pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 600/2012 of 21 June 2012 on the verification of greenhouse gas emission reports and tonne-kilometre reports and the accreditation of verifiers pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 601/2012 of 21 June 2012 on the monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • Directive 2004/8/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on the promotion of cogeneration based on a useful heat demand in the internal energy market and amending Directive 92/42/EEC. [English, Spanish].
  • Regulation (EU) 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 2013, on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at national and Union level relevant to climate change and repealing Decision No 280/2004/EC.
  • An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions.COM/2013/0216 final.
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 397/2013 of 30 April 2013 amending Regulation (EC) No 443/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the monitoring of CO 2 emissions from new passenger cars Text with EEA relevance.
  • Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC.
  • Directive 2009/33/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009, on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles.
    • Guidelines on financial incentives for clean and energy efficient vehicles (28 February 2013) [SWD (2013) 27).
  • Directive 2009/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 amending Directive 98/70/EC as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC.
  • Regulation (EC) No 1005/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer.
  • Directive 2009/125/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products.
  • Directive 2010/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the indication by labeling and standard product information of the consumption of energy and other resources by energy-related products.
  • Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings.
    • Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 244/2012 of 16 January 2012 supplementing Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings by establishing a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements.
    • Guidelines accompanying Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 244/2012 of 16 January 2012 supplementing Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the energy performance of buildings by establishing a comparative methodology framework for calculating cost-optimal levels of minimum energy performance requirements for buildings and building elements.
  • Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control).
    • Commission Implementing Decision of 10 February 2012 laying down rules concerning the transitional national plans referred to in Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on industrial emissions [English, Spanish].
  • EUROPE 2020 A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth [COM (2010) 2020 final].
  • Regulation No 510/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2011 setting emission performance standards for new light commercial vehicles as part of the Union’s integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
  • Directive 2011/92/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 13 December 2011, on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (codification).
  • Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency, amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC.
  • Commission Decision of 19 January 2012 on setting up of the European Union Offshore Oil and Gas Authorities Group [English, Spanish].
  • Directive 2012/19/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 4 July 2012 on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (recast) [English, Spanish].
  • Decision NO 522/12/COL of 19 December 2012 of the EFTA Surveillance Authority amending for the eighty-seventh time the procedural and substantive rules in the field of state aid by introducing a new chapter on state aid measures in the context of the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme post-2012.
  • Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a mechanism for monitoring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions and for reporting other information at national and Union level relevant to climate change.
  • An EU strategy on adaptation to climate change COM (2013) 216.
  • Regulation No 814/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to ecodesign requirements for hot water heaters and hot water storage tanks.
  • Commission Decision of 5 September 2013 concerning national implementation measures for the transitional free allocation of greenhouse gas emission allowances in accordance with Article 11(3) of Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (notified under document C(2013) 5666).
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 1123/2013 of 8 November 2013 on determining international credit entitlements pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.
  • Commission Regulation No 1143/2013 of 13 November 2013 amending Regulation (EU) No 1031/2010 on the timing, administration and other aspects of auctioning of greenhouse gas emission allowances pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowances trading within the Community in particular to list an auction platform to be appointed by Germany.

Government Documents

Secondary Sources

Ludwig Krämer, European Union Law, in CLIMATE CHANGE LIABILITY, 351-75 (Richard Lord et al. eds., Cambridge University Press 2011).

N. Ahner, ‘Carbon Constraining Policies in the Light of the Multilateral Trading Regime’, in B. Delvaux et al (eds.), EU Energy Law and Policy Issues, Intersentia (2012), pp. 351-367.

N. Ahner, L. Meeus, ‘Global versus Low Carbon Economy: the Case of the Revised EU Emissions Trading Scheme’ (2011) 20 RECIEL 91.

B. Delvaux et al (eds.), EU Energy Law and Policy Issues, Intersentia (2012).

D. Driesen, Links between European Emissions Trading and CDM Credits for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects, Centre for International Sustainable Development Law (2007).

L. Kramer, EU environmental law, Sweet & Maxwell (2011).

L. Kramer, ‘Climate Change and EU Legal Initiatives regarding Water Availability’ (2009) 6 JEEPL 461.

I. Rowlands, EU policy for ozone layer protection; Global competition and EU environmental policy, European University Institute (1998).

J. Skjærseth, J. Wettestad, ‘The EU Emissions Trading System Revised (Directive 2009/29/EC)’, in S. Oberthür, M. Pallemaerts (eds.), The New Climate Policies of the European Union: Internal Legislation and Climate Diplomacy, VUB Press (2010), pp. 65-91.

J. Skjærseth, J. Wettestad, ‘Implementing EU Emissions Trading: Success or Failure?’ (2008) 8 International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics 275.

J. Skjærseth, ‘EU emissions trading: initiation, decision-making and implementation’, Ashgate (2008).

SCCCL thanks Stéphanie Chuffart for her assistance in preparing this summary.

Summaries of legislation compiled from Terry Townsend et al., The GLOBE Climate Legislation Study (3d ed. 2013).

Updated as of: January 2014