Implementing EU climate policy: additional administrative burdens on farmers must be avoided

Welcoming today's vote in Parliament on a Report on the European Commission's proposal on 'accounting rules and action plans on greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities related to land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF)', the author of the report, Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė MEP, stated that "in establishing new rules for accounting for LULUCF, we must make sure we do not create red tape for farmers and businesses".

Accounting for LULUCF is a key element in climate policy. A first step towards incorporating LULUCF sectors into the EU's ambitious CO2 reduction commitments, set out in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto protocol, and ensuring complementarity between EU policies, is to establish robust rules for accounting for emissions and removals occurring from LULUCF activities.

"I am happy that the final document agreed on at the trialogue has addressed the issues crucial to the EPP Group," stated Mrs Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, chief negotiator on the accounting rules for LULUCF. "During discussions in Parliament's Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee and in talks with Member States, I stressed that these new rules should not cause unnecessary administrative burdens on Member States or on farmers. Cases of double accounting must be prevented especially. Moreover, all EU actions must avoid placing additional obligations over and above those already covered under the UNFCCC," she continued.

Highlighting the main negotiation achievements, Mrs Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė also pointed out:  "No further administrative burden may be put on Member States, therefore the proposals should not include information not required by UNFCCC Decisions. These rules will also help farmers to stay focused on their direct work rather than filling out unnecessary burdensome administrative documents".