14 February 2011: The Enforcement Branch of the Kyoto Protocol Compliance Committee has decided that Bulgaria is now fully eligible to participate in the Kyoto Protocol mechanisms under Kyoto Protocol Articles 6 (Joint Implementation (JI)), 12 (Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)) and 17 (Emissions Trading).

This decision was adopted during the 12th meeting of the Enforcement Branch, which was held from 3-4 February 2011. The question of implementation related to the national system of Bulgaria, which is required for a country to account for its emissions and demonstrate compliance. Bulgaria submitted its 2009 annual inventory submission to the UNFCCC Secretariat on 13 April 2009. The submission was reviewed by an expert review team (ERT), which, in its report, raised a question of implementation which triggered the compliance mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. The question of implementation was taken up by the Enforcement Branch, which, after considering written submissions on the issue by Bulgaria, found the country to be in non-compliance with national system requirements for countries with 2012 targets (Annex B Parties). Bulgaria submitted a plan to address its non-compliance, as requested. It also subsequently submitted a revised plan.

At its 12th meeting, after considering the most recent ERT report with respect to Bulgaria, together with the revised plan submitted by Bulgaria on 1 October 2010, the Enforcement Branch decided that there was no longer a question of implementation with regard to Bulgaria’s eligibility to participate in the mechanisms. The coutry is now eligible to participate in the mechanisms. [UNFCCC Information Note]