30.3.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 791 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) DECISION No 646/2000/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 28 February 2000 adopting a multiannual programme for the promotion of renewable energy sources in the Community (Altener) (1998 to 2002) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3, Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (), and in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 9 December 1999, Whereas: (1)  Article 174 of the Treaty provides that one of the objec- tives of Community action is to ensure prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources. (2)  Article 152 of the Treaty provides that health protection requirements are to form a constituent part of the Community's other policies; the Altener programme set out in this Decision contributes to health protection. (3) At its meeting on 29 October 1990 the Council set an objective of stabilising total CO? emissions by the year 2000 at the 1990 level in the Community as a whole. (4)  The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change contains further commitments for the Community and its Member States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including the undertaking given by the Community to the effect that an 8 % reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the O] C 214, 10.7.1998, p. 44. () O] C 315, 13.10.1998, p. 1. Opinion of the European Parliament of 11 March 1999 (O] C 175, 21.6.1999, p. 262), Council common position of 28 June 1999 (O] C 243, 27.8.1999, p.47) and decision of the European Parliament of 6 October 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal ). Decision of the Council of 24 January 2000 and decision of the European Parliament of 3 February 2000. ( ( vl ’) years 2008 to 2012 compared with 1990 levels would be achieved. A mechanism for monitoring CO? and other greenhouse gas emissions in the Community was established by Council Decision 93/389/EEC (*). C0? emissions from energy consumption in the Community are likely to increase by about 3 % between 1995 and 2000, assuming normal economic growth. In the light of the abovementioned Kyoto undertaking, it is essential to adopt additional measures; measures which would genuinely help to achieve the above objective include a much more intensive use of renewable energy sources as well as energy efficiency. At its meeting on 25 and 26 June 1996 the Council noted that in the framework of the negotiations on a protocol concerning the Berlin Mandate, the second assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (SAR IPCC) had concluded that the balance of evidence suggested that there was a discern- ible human influence on global climate change and had stressed the need for urgent action at the widest possible level, noted that significant ‘no-regrets’ opportunities were available and requested the Commission to identify the measures that had to be taken at Community level. By the Green Paper of 11 January 1995 and the White Paper of 13 December 1995 the Commission communi- cated to the European Parliament and the Council its views on the future of energy policy in the Community and on the role that renewable energy sources should play. In its Resolution of 4 July 1996 on a Community action plan for renewable energy sources (°) the European Parliament called upon the Commission to implement a Community action plan to promote renewable energy sources. 167, 9.7.1993, p. 31. o L 0] C 211, 22.7.1996, p. 27.