Editorial note

Decision 280/2004 of 11 February 2004 establishes a mechanism for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the Kyoto Protocol. It establishes a mechanism for monitoring all anthropogenic emissions by sources and by removals by sinks; evaluating progress towards meeting commitments in respect of these sources; implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol; and ensuring the timeliness, accuracy, consistency, comparability and transparency of reporting by the Community (Article 1). National and Community programmes are to be devised to fulfil the Community's and Member States' commitments under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol (Article 2). Member States' reporting obligations to the Commission are outlined in Article 3. Member States' reports are to enable the Commission to assess actual progress and to prepare annual reports (Article 3). The Commission is to compile annually a Community greenhouse gas inventory and a Community greenhouse gas inventory report (Article 4). The Commission, in consultation with Member States, is to assess annually the progress of the Community in fulfilling its obligations under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol (Article 5). National registries are to be established by the Community and its Member States to ensure the accurate accounting of the issue, holding, transfer, acquisition, cancellation and withdrawal of assigned amount units, removal units, emission reduction units, etc. (Article 6). The Community and each Member State are to submit a report to the UNFCCC Secretariat determining their assigned amount (Article 7).