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2015 G7 Schloss Elmau Summit
Interim Compliance Report

9 June 2015 to 20 February 2016
Prepared by Michael Humeniuk, Jerome Newton, Christian Medeiros and Kaleem Hawa
with Caroline Bracht,
G7 Research Group

30 March 2016

The 2015 G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Interim Compliance Report reviews progress made on 17 selected commitments set out at the 2015 Schloss Elmau Summit for the period of 9 June 2015 to 20 February 2016 (see Table A). The preface and summary of the findings are listed below. The 2015 G7 Schloss Elmau Interim Compliance Scores, with rankings by country and by issue.

Download the full 158-page report here.

The report contains the following sections, which can be downloaded separately:

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Preface

Each year since 1996, the G7 and G8 Research Group has produced a compliance report on the progress made by the G7/8 members in meeting the commitments their leaders issue at each summit. Since 2002, the group has usually published an interim report to assess progress during the transition from one host to the next, as well as the final report issued just before the annual summit. These reports, which monitor each G7/8 member's implementation of a carefully chosen selection of the many commitments announced at the end of each summit, are offered to the general public and to policy makers, academics, civil society, the media and interested citizens around the world in an effort to make the work of the G7/8 more transparent and accessible, and to provide scientific data to enable meaningful analysis of this unique and informal institution. Compliance reports are available at the G7 Information Centre at www.g7.utoronto.ca/compliance.

Based at the University of Toronto and founded in 1987, the mission of the G7 and G8 Research Group is to serve as the leading independent source of information and analysis on the institutions, performance, issues and participants of the G7/8 summit and system of global governance. It is an global network of scholars, students and professionals. The group oversees the G7 Information Centre, which publishes freely available research on the G7 as well as official documents issued by the G7.

For the 2015 Interim Compliance Report, 17 priority commitments were selected from the 346 commitments made at the Schloss Elmau Summit, hosted by Germany from 7 to 8 June 2015. This report assesses the results of compliance with those commitments as of February 20, 2016.

To make its assessments, the G7 Research Group relies on publicly available information, documentation and media reports. To ensure the accuracy, comprehensiveness and integrity of these reports, we encourage comments and suggestions. Indeed, this is a living document, and the scores can be recalibrated if new material becomes available. All feedback remains anonymous and is not attributed. Responsibility for this report's contents lies exclusively with the authors and analysts of the G7 Research Group.

This report is produced entirely on a voluntary basis. It receives no direct financial support from any source, by a process insulated from the other major activities of the G7 Research Group, such as the "briefing book" produced by Newsdesk Media or the pre-summit conferences sponsored by various institutions.

The work of the G7 Research Group would not be possible without the steadfast dedication of many people around the world. This report is the product of a team of energetic and hard-working analysts led by Michael Humeniuk, chair of summit studies, as well as the co-directors of the Compliance Unit: Kaleem Hawa, Christan Medeiros and Jerome Newton. It would also not be possible without the support of Dr. Ella Kokotsis, director of accountability, and Caroline Bracht, senior researcher. We are also indebted to the many people who provide feedback on our drafts, whose comments have been carefully considered in this report.

John Kirton
Director
G7 Research Group

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Executive Summary

The University of Toronto G7 Research Group's Interim Compliance Report on the 2015 Schloss Elmau Summit assesses the compliance of the G7 members with 17 priority commitments of the 347 commitments they made at their summit in Germany on 7–8 June 2015. These selected commitments reflect the breadth of the summit agenda. The analysis covers only actions taken by G7 members since the day after the summit until 20 February 2016. The commitments are listed in Table A.

The Interim Compliance Score

Compliance is measured on a three-point scale. A score of +1 indicates full compliance with a commitment, a score of 0 indicates partial compliance or a work in progress, and a score of −1 indicates non-compliance as in a failure to comply or action taken that is directly opposite to the commitment.

The average interim compliance scores are listed in Table B

During the assessment period of 9 June 2015 to 20 February 2016, the average compliance score was +0.60, a drop from the average score of +0.63 for the 2014 Brussels Summit (no interim compliance study was issued for the Brussels Summit). Nevertheless, it is consistent with a general upward trend in compliance since the 2010 Muskoka Summit.

Interim compliance scores are typically lower than final compliance scores.

Compliance by Member

The European Union is ranked first, with an average compliance score of +1.00, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom (+0.88 each) and the United States (+0.65) (see Table C). These three members have maintained their ranking from the 2014 Brussels Summit compliance report. France (+0.59), Japan (+0.39), and Canada and Italy (+0.18 each) had below-average scores.

Compliance by Commitment

The commitment to foster growth through education to promote technological advancement ranked first at +0.88. Seven commitments (infrastructure investment, Ukraine, maritime security, migrant protection, national action plans on health and advancement of the Copenhagen Accord on climate change) came next with a score of +0.75.

The lowest-scoring commitments were on nonproliferation with respect to the Arms Trade Treaty and on working with developing countries on the global tax agenda (at +0.25 and +0.13, respectively).

The scores by commitment are listed in Table D.

The Compliance Gap Between Members

The interim results from the 2015 Schloss Elmau Summit show a difference of 0.82 between the highest and lowest compliance scores. This gap is significantly larger than in previous two years, with a spread of 0.44 in 2014, 0.45 in 2013 and 0.44 in 2012. However, compliance performance can change significantly between the interim and final assessments.

Future Research and Reports

The information contained within this report provides G7 members and other stakeholders with an indication of their compliance results during the 2015–16 period, which spans from 9 June 2015, immediately following the 2015 Elmau Summit, to 20 February 2016. The final report will extend this period until the 2016 Ise-Shima summit. As with previous compliance reports, this report has been produced as an invitation for others to provide additional or more complete information on country compliance. Comments are always welcomed and would be considered as part of an analytical reassessment. If so, please send your feedback to g8@utoronto.ca.

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Table A: 2015 Priority Commitments Selected for Assessment*

Number Commitment
23 "To ensure that G7 countries operate at the technological frontier in the years ahead, we will foster growth by promoting education." (G7 Elmau Schloss Summit Declaration)
28 "[To ensure that G7 countries operate at the technological frontier in the years ahead, we will foster growth by] promoting quality infrastructure investment to address shortfalls through effective resource mobilization in partnership with the private sector" (G7 Elmau Schloss Summit Declaration)
33 "The G7 commits to putting [protection of our climate] at the centre of our growth agenda." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
50 "We reiterate our commitment to work with developing countries on the international tax agenda" (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
96 "[Based on our common values and principles we are committed to:] Strengthening the System of Multilateral Treaties/Arms Trade Treaty" (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
112 "We reiterate our full support for the efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the framework of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group" (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
118 "We are committed to maintaining a rules-based order in the maritime domain based on the principles of international law, in particular as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea" (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
127 "[We reaffirm our commitment to] combat the trafficking of migrants" (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
113 "We reaffirm our commitment to effectively implement the established international framework for the freezing of terrorists' assets, and will facilitate cross-border freezing requests among G7 countries." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
150 "[The G7] will set up or strengthen mechanisms for rapid deployment of multidisciplinary teams of experts coordinated through a common platform." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
153 "[We will] effectively implement our national action plans." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
176 "We will stimulate … research focused on faster and targeted development of easily usable and affordable … vaccines." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
187 "[We] commit to develop long term national low-carbon strategies." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
188 "We reaffirm our strong commitment to the Copenhagen Accord to mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion a year by 2020 from a wide variety of sources, both public and private in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
192 "We will … intensify our support particularly for vulnerable countries' own efforts to manage climate change related disaster risk" (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
209 "We reaffirm our support for Ukraine and other vulnerable countries in their ongoing efforts to reform and liberalize their energy systems." (G7 Schloss Elmau Summit Declaration)
339 "We thus reaffirm our support for the consistent implementation of and strive to alignment of our own ODA-supported investments with the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) and the CFS Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems" (Annex to the Leaders' Declaration)

* For the full list of commitments, please contact the G7 Research Group at g8@utoronto.ca.

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Table B: 2015 Interim G7 Schloss Elmau Compliance Scores

Canada France Germany Italy Japan United Kingdom United States European Union Average
Macroeconomic Policy Fostering Growth +1 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.88 94%
Infrastructure: Infrastructure Investment 0 0 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Climate Change: Growth Agenda 0 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 0 +1 +0.63 81%
Financial Regulation: Tax Agenda −1 −1 +1 0 +1 +1 −1 +1 +0.13 56%
Nonproliferation: Arms Trade 0 +1 +1 −1 +1 0 −1 +1 +0.25 63%
Regional Security: Ukraine 0 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Regional Security: Maritime 0 +1 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Human Rights: Migrants +1 +1 +1 0 0 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Terrorism: Terrorists' Assets +1 +1 0 +1 −1 +1 0 +1 +0.50 75%
Health: Coordinated Rapid Deployment +1 0 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Health: National Action Plans +1 +1 +1 −1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Health: Vaccines −1 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.63 81%
Climate Change: Low-Carbon Strategies 0 0 +1 0 −1 +1 +1 +1 +0.38 69%
Climate Change: Copenhagen Accord 0 +1 +1 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +0.75 88%
Climate Change: Vulnerable Countries 0 +1 0 −1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.50 75%
Energy: Liberalizing Systems 0 0 +1 +1 0 0 +1 +1 +0.50 75%
Food and Agriculture: Voluntary Guidelines 0 0 +1 0 +1 +1 +1 +1 +0.63 81%
Compliance Average +0.18 +0.59 +0.88 +0.18 +0.47 +0.88 +0.65 +1.00 +0.60 80%
59% 79% 94% 59% 74% 94% 82% 100%  
2014 Final Compliance Score +0.69 +0.50 +0.75 +0.38 +0.44 +0.75 +0.75 +0.81 +0.63 82%
2013 Final Compliance Average +0.50 +0.50 +0.39 +0.33 +0.33 +0.78 +0.72 +0.61 +0.51 76%
2013 Interim Compliance Average +0.44 +0.44 +0.28 +0.28 +0.17 +0.56 +0.61 +0.61 +0.40 70%
2012 Final Compliance Average +0.71 +0.65 +0.76 +0.29 +0.65 +0.65 +0.88 +0.59 +0.60 80%
2011 Final Compliance Average +0.67 +0.50 +0.44 +0.33 +0.56 +0.61 +0.61 +0.61 +0.54 77%
2010 Final Compliance Average +0.61 +0.44 +0.50 +0.17 +0.28 +0.50 +0.56 +0.44 +0.46 73%

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Table C: 2015 G7 Schloss Elmau Compliance Scores by Country

  2015 interim compliance 2014 final compliance 2013 final compliance 2013 interim compliance 2012 interim compliance 2011 final compliance 2010 final compliance
Russia +0.39 70% +0.22 61% +0.18 59% +0.56 78% +0.61 81%
European Union +1.00 100% +0.81 91% +0.61 81% +0.61 81% +0.59 80% +0.61 81% +0.44 72%
Germany +0.88 94% +0.75 88% +0.39 70% +0.28 64% +0.76 88% +0.44 72% +0.50 75%
United Kingdom +0.88 94% +0.75 88% +0.78 89% +0.56 78% +0.65 83% +0.61 81% +0.50 75%
United States +0.65 82% +0.75 88% +0.72 86% +0.61 81% +0.88 94% +0.61 81% +0.56 78%
France +0.59 79% +0.50 75% +0.50 75% +0.44 72% +0.65 83% +0.50 75% +0.44 72%
Japan +0.47 74% +0.44 72% +0.33 67% +0.17 59% +0.65 83% +0.56 78% +0.28 64%
Canada +0.18 59% +0.69 85% +0.50 75% +0.44 72% +0.71 86% +0.67 84% +0.61 81%
Italy +0.18 59% +0.38 69% +0.33 67% +0.28 64% +0.29 65% +0.33 67% +0.17 59%
Average +0.60 80% +0.63 82% +0.52 76% +0.42 71% +0.65 82% +0.54 77% +0.44 72%
Spread 0.82 0.44 0.45 0.44 0.7 0.34 0.44

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Table D: 2015 Interim G7 Schloss Elmau Compliance Scores by Issue

Macroeconomic Policy Fostering Growth +0.88 94%
Infrastructure: Infrastructure Investment +0.75 88%
Regional Security: Ukraine +0.75 88%
Regional Security: Maritime +0.75 88%
Human Rights: Migrants +0.75 88%
Health: Coordinated Rapid Deployment +0.75 88%
Health: National Action Plans +0.75 88%
Climate Change: Copenhagen Accord +0.75 88%
Health: Vaccines +0.63 81%
Climate Change: Growth Agenda +0.63 81%
Food and Agriculture: Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance +0.63 81%
Terrorism: Terrorists' Assets +0.50 75%
Climate Change: Vulnerable Countries +0.50 75%
Energy: Liberalizing Systems +0.50 75%
Climate Change: Low-Carbon Strategies +0.38 69%
Nonproliferation: Arms Trade +0.25 63%
Financial Regulation: Tax Agenda +0.13 56%
Average +0.60 80%

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