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Regulation (EU) No 389/2013 establishing a Union Registry
EU emissions trading system
The EU ETS is a cornerstone of the EU’s policy to combat climate change and its key tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions cost-effectively. It is the world’s first major carbon market and remains the biggest. The EU ETS works on the ‘cap and trade’ principle. A cap is set on the total amount of certain greenhouse gases that can be emitted by installations covered by the system. The cap is reduced over time so that total emissions fall.
Within the cap, companies receive or buy emission allowances which they can trade with one another as needed. In the third phase of the ETS (2013–2020) the companies could also buy limited amounts of international credits from emission-saving projects around the world. The limit on the total number of allowances available ensures that they have a value.
By the end of April each year, installations and aircraft operators covered by the EU ETS must surrender enough allowances to cover all their emissions in the previous year, or risk heavy fines. If a company reduces its emissions, it can keep its spare allowances to cover its future needs or sell them to another company that is short of allowances.
Union Registry
The regulation sets up, from 1 January 2013, an EU-wide Union Registry, an online database that holds accounts for stationary installations, aircraft operators (included in the EU ETS since January 2012) and for any person interested in trading emission allowances.
Auctioning is the default method for allocating allowances, rather than free allocation. Harmonised allocation rules apply to those allowances that are still freely allocated.
The registry records:
Opening an account
To participate in the EU ETS, companies or individuals have to open an account in the Union Registry, sending a request to the national administrator, who collects and checks all supporting documentation.
EU Transaction Log
The EU Transaction Log (EUTL) automatically checks, records and authorises all transactions between accounts in the Union Registry, ensuring that all transfers comply with EU ETS rules.
The EUTL is the successor of the Community Independent Transaction Log, which had a similar role before the Union Registry was introduced.
Kyoto registries
The Union Registry also acts as a KP registry to assist the EU and its Member States in meeting their obligations as parties to the KP.
Amendments
Repeal
Regulation (EU) No 389/2013 has been repealed by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/1122 fromf 1 January 2021, although it continues to apply until 31 December 2025 to, among other things, all operations required in relation to the trading period between 2013 and 2020 and notably for the second commitment period of the KP.
It has applied since 4 May 2013.
For further information, see:
Commission Regulation (EU) No 389/2013 of 2 May 2013 establishing a Union Registry pursuant to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Decisions No 280/2004/EC and No 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Regulations (EU) No 920/2010 and No 1193/2011 (OJ L 122, 3.5.2013, pp. 1–59).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 389/2013 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No 663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, pp. 1–77).
See consolidated version.
Decision No 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community’s greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020 (OJ L 140, 5.6.2009, pp. 136–148).
See consolidated version.
Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, pp. 32–46).
See consolidated version.
last update 19.11.2021