Press Release: Kyoto Protocol: Commission hails agreement on monitoring greenhouse gas emissions

The European Commission welcomed the vote on 21 October 2003 in the European Parliament to approve a Decision of the Parliament and the Council on monitoring greenhouse gas emissions. This Decision is important because it implements the EU's commitments under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which aim to curb global warming by reducing emissions of gases that contribute to it. The Decision obliges Member States to monitor and report emissions of greenhouse gases accurately and put in place programmes to reduce them. With this, the EU has the infrastructure necessary to monitor progress, gauge the effectiveness of measures, and achieve reductions.