The European bubble

Within the UNFCCC-Kyoto Protocol scheme, the EU(15) received a general emission reduction target of -8% in comparison with the 1990 GHG emission level (art.4 of the protocol). This is called the European Bubble.

The burden sharing (Council Decision 2002/358/EC) took place between the 15 Member States on the basis of the triptych approach, a sector-based allocation principle including the energy sector, the industry and domestically oriented sectors.

Within those sectors, the reduction effort has been distributed according to a benchmark :

in the energy and industry sectors, benchmarks refer mainly to energy efficiency indicators;
while in domestically-oriented sectors, the benchmark allocates the emission allowances per capita.

Since then, the EU enlarged to ten new eastern countries, Cyprus and Malta.
While the ten new Member States negotiated each an emission reduction objective comprised between -8% and -6% in comparison with a year of reference (not necessarily 1990), Cyprus and Malta have no emission reduction target at all.

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