The Scope for Joint Implementation in the EU Candidate Countries WYTZE VAN DER GAAST* Foundation Joint Implementation Network (JIN), Meerkoetlaan 30A, 9765 TD Paterswolde, The Netherlands (E-mail: jiq@northsea.nl) Accepted 21 October 2002 Abstract. Central and Eastern European Candidate countries are involved in negotiations with the EU on the implementation of the Acquis Communautaire in their domestic law. These countries are also preparing themselves for international co-operation in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. Through this co-operation the Candidate countries will most likely transfer GHG emission reduc- tion credits to other industrialised countries listed in Annex B of the Protocol. This can take place through JI project co-operation and/or International Emissions Trading. This paper argues that the Acquis environmental requirements will in general lead to GHG emission reduction in the Candidate countries, which will reduce the scope for JI in these countries. The extent to which the JI scope will be reduced depends, among others, on the timing of entering the EU and the transitional arrangements between the EU and the Candidates. Key words: Acquis Communautaire, best available techniques, EU Accession, International Emissions Trading, JI baselines, Joint Implementation, Kyoto Protocol 1. Introduction Since the entry into force of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994, 1 the countries in Central and Eastern Europe have been active participants in the climate change negotiations taking place at successive sessions of the Conference of the Parties (CoP). In addition to this diplomatic involvement in the Convention, Central and Eastern European countries have become participants in international co-operation efforts aiming at addressing general environmental issues in the region and implementing so-called Joint Implementation (JI) projects. The latter type of co-operation is defined in the International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics 2: 277–292, 2002.  2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. * This paper is partly based on analysis carried out in the framework of the research project PROBASE (procedures for accounting and baselines for projects under Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism). PROBASE is a project under the EU Fifth Framework Programme carried out by an European-wide consortium: JIN (Netherlands), Factor (Switzerland), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), University of Surrey (UK), HWWA (Germany) and French-German Institute for Environmental Research (Germany).