From the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: Pierre Giroux, Deputy Director, Policy, Climate Change and Energy Division; Sushma Gera, Deputy Director and Head of Canada's Clean Development and Joint Implementation, Office of the Climate Change and Energy Division.

Witnesses: From the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade: David Drake, Acting Director General, International Environmental Affairs Bureau, Co-Head of the Canadian Delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; Sushma Gera, Deputy Director and Head, Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation Office, Climate Change and Energy Division.

Ms. Sushma Gera (Deputy Director and Head of Canada's Clean Development and Joint Implementation, Office of the Climate Change and Energy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade): Thank you.

Ms. Sushma Gera (Deputy Director and Head, Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation Office, Climate Change and Energy Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade): Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

The functioning of the five directives comprising the existing regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services (Directive 2002/19/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities (Access Directive) , Directive 2002/20/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services (Authorisation Directive) , Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 7 March 2002 on a common regulatory framework for elect ...[+++]ronic communications networks and services (Framework Directive) , Directive 2002/22/EC (Universal Service Directive) and Directive 2002/58/EC (Directive on privacy and electronic communications) (together referred to as ‘the Framework Directive and the Specific Directives’)) is subject to periodic review by the Commission, with a view, in particular, to determining the need for modification in the light of technological and market developments.

In October 2004 the EU adopted an amendment to the Emissions Trading Directive, the so-called “Linking Directive” , which allows European companies covered by the EU emissions trading system to use credits from CDM projects (from 1 January 2005) and from JI projects (from 1 January 2008) towards meeting their commitments under the trading scheme (Governments will be allowed to use credits from JI and CDM projects towards meeting their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol during the first Kyoto commitment period from 2008 to 2012).