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In the course of their accession to the European Union, the acceding countries have to implement the existing body of European rules (acquis communautaire). As a result, the level of their greenhouse gas emissions can be expected to be affected. In this project, the effects of the accession of Estonia, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republik and Hungary on their greenhouse gas emissions were assessed. The study analyses the effects the EU accession of Estonia, Poland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Hungary may have on the greenhouse gas emissions of these countries.

This issue is of particular relevance with respect to the emission credits available in the framework of the Kyoto Mechanisms (in particular emissions trading) as well as for the future role of an enlarged EU in international climate policy-making. The starting point of the analysis is that the accession countries have to implement the existing EU law (the acquis communautaire) prior to their acceptance to the EU. In addition to the relevant EU regulation, the kind of effect on their greenhouse gas emissions depends on the specific conditions in the respective accession country. A quantitative assessment proved possible in several areas. In ten of the identified regulatory areas a reduction can be expected to result from the implementation of EU law. In particular, the energy market liberalisation should make it possible to exploit a considerable reduction potential due to the specific conditions that prevail in the energy sector in the accession countries. In contrast, the extension of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) to the new member states is likely to create similar conditions in the agricultural sector than as are already prevailing in the existing member states. As a result, the emission level in this area is likely to increase in the accession countries.

The project report is available for download [pdf, 669 KB, German].