Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the linking of their greenhouse gas emissions trading systems

Summary:

Agreement between the European Union and Switzerland which links the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) with the Swiss Emissions Trading System.

Further information:

Cap and trade systems are policy tools that cost-effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the time of this Agreement, the EU gathered over a decade's experience with the EU's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which had also become the world's largest cap and trade system. The Swiss Emissions Trading System (Swiss ETS) became mandatory in 2013 for large, energy intensive entities and puts an absolute cap on greenhouse gas emissions, meeting two of the basic conditions for linking with the EU ETS.

In December 2010 the Council of the European Union adopted a Decision authorising the European Commission to open negotiations with Switzerland for a link between the EU and the Swiss greenhouse gas emissions trading systems. On 16 August 2017 the Commission presented proposals for Council Decisions on the signing and conclusion of the Agreement. The Council adopted the Decision on the signing of the Agreement on 10 November, and the signature took place on 23 November. The conclusion of the Agreement was approved by the Council on 23 January 2018. Following the formal exchange of the instruments of approval or ratification by both parties, the Agreement would enter into force on 1 January 2020.

Official

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 20/12/2010: EU to link its greenhouse gas emissions trading system with Switzerland http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/envir/118632.pdf

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)427: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of an Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the linking of their greenhouse gas emissions trading systems http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:427:FIN

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)428: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing of an Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the linking of their greenhouse gas emissions trading systems http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:428:FIN

European Commission: DG Climate Action: News, 16/08/2017: EU and Switzerland join forces on emissions trading https://ec.europa.eu/clima/news/eu-and-switzerland-join-forces-emissions-trading

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 10/11/2017: Green light for the agreement linking the EU and Swiss emissions trading systems http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/11/10/green-light-for-signing-the-agreement-linking-the-eu-and-swiss-emissions-trading-systems/

EUR-Lex: Official Journal, L322, 07/12/2017: Decision (EU) 2017/2240 on the signing and provisional application of the Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the linking of their greenhouse gas emissions trading systems http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.322.01.0001.01.ENG

EUR-Lex: Official Journal, L43, 16/02/2018: Decision (EU) 2018/219 on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation on the linking of their greenhouse gas emissions trading systems http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2018.043.01.0001.01.ENG

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 09/12/2019: Linking of Switzerland to the EU emissions trading system - entry into force on 1 January 2020 https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2019/12/09/linking-of-switzerland-to-the-eu-emissions-trading-system-entry-into-force-on-1-january-2020/

European Commission: Press Release, 09/12/2019: Agreement on linking the emissions trading systems of the EU and Switzerland https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_19_6708

---

News

Reuters, 16/08/2017: Swiss, EU move closer to linking emissions trading systems https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN1AW1EI

EurActiv, 17/08/2017: The EU and Switzerland link their carbon markets https://www.euractiv.com/section/emissions-trading-scheme/news/the-eu-and-switzerland-link-their-carbon-markets/

---