Aviation to be treated like other sectors

The environment committee voted earlier this month to phase out free emissions permits by 2020 and make all permits subject to auctioning. They also voted to start the reductions at 80% of historic levels in 2013.

With aviation due to enter the ETS in 2012, the MEPs’ vote calling for free permits to be phased out gradually from 2013 to 2020 means airlines may well have to pay for all the carbon dioxide emissions from their flights by 2020. While the committee accepted the need for a few exceptions, aviation would not qualify for them.

T&E policy officer Bill Hemmings said: ‘It’s right that the environment committee should treat aviation just like any other industrial sector. Aviation has enjoyed preferential treatment, with no fuel tax, emissions charges or value-added tax, which is not a sustainable approach if the EU is serious about its greenhouse gas reduction targets.’

SHIPPING

The committee also asked the Commission to submit ‘as soon as possible legislative proposals to incorporate the shipping sector into the ETS by 2013’. Officials have threatened for some time to take European action on maritime greenhouse emissions if there is no international action.