EU directives, regulations and decisions
The EU Registry Regulation 2004/2216/EG and its amendments in Regulation 2007/916/EC and
2008/994/EC are directly applicable to the Austrian emissions trading registry and regulate, among
other things:
- that a registry for emissions allowances has to be established
- how the accounts in the registry are managed
- how allowances in connection with transactions are transferred
- how verified emissions are entered into the registry
- how allowances are surrendered, retired and cancelled
- how the compliance status of operators is calculated and communicated to the competent
authority and
- which information in the registry is published
The basis of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is the Emissions Trading Directive
2003/87/EC bzw. 2009/29/EC, which regulates the functioning of the EU ETS. This Directive has been
transposed into Austrian law by Emissions Allowance Trading Act (Emissionszertifikategesetz – EZG).
In order to link the EU ETS to international emissions trading, the EU passed Directive
2004/101/EC, the so-called Linking Directive. This directive specifies how the EU ETS is linked to
the Kyoto flexible mechanisms Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism. The Linking
Directive has been transposed into Austrian law by an amendment to the EZG. Another piece of
legislation in this context is Decision 2006/780/EC on avoiding double counting of greenhouse gas
emission reductions for project activities under the Kyoto Protocol.
Other Commission decisions that are relevant for emissions trading are Decision 2004/280/EC
concerning a mechanism for monitoring Community greenhouse gas emissions and for implementing the
Kyoto Protocol and Decision 2007/589/EC on Monitoring and Reporting Guidelines.
