L 165/80 Official Journal of the European Union 18.6.2013 DECISIONS DECISION No 529/2013/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 May 2013 on accounting rules on greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities relating to land use, land-use change and forestry and on information concerning actions relating to those activities THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 192(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee ('), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: The land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector in the Union is a net sink that removes from the atmosphere an amount of greenhouse gases that is equivalent to a significant share of total Union emissions of greenhouse gases. LULUCF activities cause anthro- pogenic emissions and removals of greenhouse gases as a consequence of changes in the quantity of carbon stored in vegetation and soils, as well as emissions of non-CO, greenhouse gases. The increased sustainable use of harvested wood products can substantially limit emissions into and enhance removals of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Emissions and removals of greenhouse gases resulting from the LULUCF sector are not counted towards the Union’s 20 % greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for 2020 pursuant to Decision No 406/2009/EC of the European Parliament and of the () OJ C 351, 15.11.2012, p. 85. (®) Position of the European Parliament of 12 March 2013 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 22 April 2013. Council of 23 April 2009 on the effort of Member States to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Community’'s  greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments up to 2020 (%), and Directive 2003/87EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Commu- nity (¥, though they count in part towards the Union’s quantified  emission  limitation and  reduction commitments pursuant to Article 3(3) of the Kyoto Protocol (Kyoto Protocol) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), approved by Council Decision 2002/358/EC (°). In the context of moving to a competitive low-carbon economy in 2050, all land use should be considered in a holistic manner and LULUCF should be addressed within the Union’s climate policy. Decision No 406/2009/EC requires the Commission to assess modalities to include greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities relating to LULUCF into the Union's greenhouse gas emission reduction commitment, whilst ensuring the permanence and environmental integrity of the contribution of the sector, and providing for accurate monitoring and accounting of the relevant emissions and removals. This Decision should, therefore, as a first step, set out accounting rules applicable to greenhouse gas emissions and removals from the LULUCF sector and thereby contribute to policy development towards the inclusion of the LULUCF sector in the Union’s emission reduction commitment, as appropriate, while taking into account environmental conditions in the various regions of the Union, including inter alia richly forested countries. To ensure the preservation and enhancement of carbon stocks in the interim, this Decision should also provide for submission of information by Member States on their LULUCF actions to limit or reduce emissions, and to maintain or increase removals, from the LULUCF sector. () O] L 140, 5.6.2009, p. 136. (*) OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32. (°) Council Decision 2002/358/EC of 25 April 2002 concerning the approval, on behalf of the European Community, of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the joint fulfilment of commitments thereunder (O] L 130, 15.5.2002, p. 1).