Date: 2025-07-02Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Council Decision (EU) 2025/1315 of 17 June 2025 on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union concerning the nomination of a Union representative to the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage
**Executive Summary:**
This Council Decision (EU) 2025/1315 establishes the EU's position regarding the nomination of a Union representative to the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. It addresses the sharing of seats between the Commission and Member States. The decision was adopted on June 17, 2025, and became effective immediately.
**Key Points / Main Content:**
* **Union Representation on the Board:**
* The Union, represented by the Commission, will seek a seat on the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.
* **Seat Allocation:**
* The agreed sharing of seats for the first 3-year term of the Board is seven members and seven alternate members, allocated as follows:
* **Members:** France, Italy, Germany, Commission, Portugal, Denmark, Austria.
* **Alternates:** France, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Finland, Luxemburg, Sweden, Slovenia.
* **Competencies and Cooperation:**
* The Union seat doesn't affect the need for a Union position on matters discussed by the Board or the procedures for adopting such a position, respecting sincere cooperation.
* The Union representative will speak and vote on behalf of the Union, while Member State representatives will speak and vote on behalf of their respective Member States.
* The decision doesn't alter the division of competencies between the Union and Member States concerning matters subject to Board decisions.
* **Funding Pledges:**
* Funding pledges by the Union will be prepared according to applicable procedures under Union law, respecting the institutions' prerogatives.
**Impact Analysis**
* **European Commission:**
* *Impact:* The Commission will represent the Union on the Board of the Fund and is responsible for nominating the Union representative.
* *Action Required:* The Commission must seek a seat on the Board and ensure the Union is represented. They must also report periodically to the Council on the Board's proceedings.
* **Council of the European Union:**
* *Impact:* The Council agrees on the position to be taken on behalf of the Union regarding the nomination and seat sharing.
* *Action Required:* Take note of the Commission's periodic reports on the Board's proceedings.
* **Member States:**
* *Impact:* Member States are part of the agreed seat-sharing arrangement and will have representatives on the Board. Their competence in areas covered by the Fund remains, provided the Union has not yet exercised its shared competences.
* *Action Required:* Member States must nominate their representatives to the Board according to the seat-sharing arrangement.
* **Parties to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement:**
* *Impact:* The decision impacts the composition of the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, which was established under these agreements.
* *Action Required:* No direct action specified in the text, but they should be aware of the EU's representation on the Board.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
Council of the European Union: A component of the EU's legislative branch, where government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and coordinate policies.
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: One of the primary treaties of the European Union, detailing the organisation and functioning of the EU.
European Commission: An executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the EU treaties and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change: An international environmental treaty adopted in 1992 to combat 'dangerous human interference with the climate system'.
Paris Agreement: An international agreement on climate change, adopted in 2015.
Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage: A fund established to provide financial assistance to countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.
Board of the Fund: The governing board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/1315 2.7.2025
COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2025/1315
of 17 June 2025
on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union concerning the nomination of a Union
representative to the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 209, in conjunction with
Article 218(9) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1) Participation of the Union, as appropriate, in international organisations or boards thereof need to be decided on
a case-by-case basis, taking into account the rules governing the composition of such organisations or boards as well
as the specific Union competences at stake.
(2) The Union is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and to the Paris
Agreement(1) adopted under the UNFCCC and has participated in the decisions approving the establishment of
a Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (the ‘Fund’) and a governing instrument for that Fund (the ‘Governing
Instrument’) taken by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC and the Conference of the Parties serving as the
meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement on 30 November 2023.
(3) Pursuant to paragraph 17 of the Governing Instrument, the Board of the Fund (the ‘Board’) will comprise, inter alia,
‘12 members from developed countries’. In accordance with paragraph 8 of the Governing Instrument, the Parties to
the UNFCCC and to the Paris Agreement were invited, through their regional groups and constituencies, to submit to
the UNFCCC secretariat as soon as possible nominations for membership of the Board.
(4) Arrangements for convening the first meeting of the Board are to be initiated as soon as possible after all voting
member nominations have been submitted.
(5) On the basis of a Union position agreed by the Council and a common position of the Member States, as agreed by
their representatives in February 2024, the Union has agreed with other developed-country Parties that the EU and
its Member States will nominate as representatives seven members and seven alternate members to sit on the Board.
(6) It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf concerning the nomination of a Union
representative on the Board and on the sharing of seats between Union and Member State representatives in parallel
with the common position reached by the representatives of the Member States in May 2025, as the nomination of
a Union representative to the Board will have legal effects. This Decision concerns only the initial nomination of
members of the Board and is without prejudice to the positions of the Union and the Member States on the
allocation of seats in groups, panels or boards of multilateral funds or other initiatives, or to the renewal of the terms
of office of Union and Member State representatives on the Board and in other groups, panels or boards, which will
be established in line with the applicable procedures. The allocation of seats among developed-country
representatives in the composition of the Board does not constitute a precedent for other decisions to be taken when
renewing the terms of office of members of the Board or within other international fora.
(1) OJ L 282, 19.10.2016, p. 4.
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1315/oj 1/3EN
OJ L, 2.7.2025
(7) The Union seat on the Board, held by a representative of the Commission, does not affect whether or to what extent
a Union position on matters discussed by the Board is needed, or the procedures for adopting such a position, and is
to respect the principle of sincere cooperation. The Union representative will speak and vote in the name of and on
behalf of the Union only while the Member States representatives will speak and vote in the name of and on behalf of
the Member State in line with applicable rules. This Decision does not alter the division of competences between the
Union and the Member States in relation to matters that are the subject of other decisions taken by the Board. In
particular, pursuant to Article 4(4) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in the area of
development cooperation and humanitarian aid, the Union has competence to carry out activities and conduct
a common policy; however, the exercise of that competence is not to result in Member States being prevented from
exercising theirs. This Decision cannot be interpreted as implying an exercise of Union competence over matters
covered by the Fund with regard to which the Union has not yet exercised its shared competences and which
therefore remain within the competences of the Member States.
(8) The proposal to include a Union seat on the Board does not affect the ability of Member States represented on the
Board to express support for any duly agreed Union position, or their own positions, on matters falling within their
competences, while respecting the principle of sincere cooperation.
(9) The Commission is to report periodically to the Council on the Board’s proceedings in line with the principle of
sincere cooperation enshrined in the Treaties.
(10) The position to be taken on behalf of the Union on membership of the Board does not alter the representation of the
EU and its Member States in the UNFCCC.
(11) Funding pledges by the Union to the Fund are to be prepared in accordance with the applicable procedures under
Union law, while respecting the prerogatives of the institutions concerned,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:
Article 1
The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf concerning the nomination of a Union representative to the Board of the
Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and the sharing of seats between the representatives of the Commission and the
Member States is attached to this Decision.
Article 2
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.
Done at Luxembourg, 17 June 2025.
For the Council
The President
P. HENNIG-KLOSKA
2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1315/ojEN
OJ L, 2.7.2025
Position to be taken concerning the nomination of a Union representative to the Board of the Fund
for Responding to Loss and Damage
(1) The Union, represented by the Commission, shall seek a seat on the Board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and
Damage (the ‘Board’) established by the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and to
the Paris Agreement.
(2) The agreed sharing of the respresentatives of the Commission and the Member States of the seats on the Board, as seven
members and seven alternate members, for the first 3-year term of the Board is expressed in the following scheme:
Member France Italy Germany Commission Portugal Denmark Austria
Alternate France Italy Germany Ireland Spain Finland/ Luxemburg/
Sweden Slovenia
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2025/1315/oj 3/3