Introductory background and context

Background and political framework

Among the twenty-five Member States of the European Union, Germany is the country with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms. In 2003 the total greenhouse gas emissions of Germany represented a 20.7% share of the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions of the twenty-five Member States of the EU. With regard to percapita emissions, Germany was above the average of EU15 as well as EU25.

For an in-depth understanding of the development of the National Allocation Plan (NAP) in Germany some national circumstances should be considered:

• Germany is relatively close to its target of the European Burden-Sharing Agreement for the Kyoto Protocol which is equal to 21%. The greenhouse gases included in the Kyoto Protocol have been reduced by about 18.5% by the end of 2003.

• In East Germany industry was subject to a fundamental restructuring and modernisation process since 1990, and considerable renovation investments are imminent in the old Federal States in the next few years (Matthes and Ziesing 2003).

• The electricity industry and, above all, coal-powered electricity plants play a prominent role in Germany. Energy and environmental policy regulations on the use of hard coal and lignite constitute a highly sensitive political matter in this country.

• The German Federal States have a great influence on German policy and traditionally own the main administrative competences in the framework of environmental policies.

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