EU toughens up ETS for aviation

Following a vote of the Committee of Environment, MEPs decided that airline companies should not be allowed to continue emitting the same levels of greenhouse gases. The MEPs reintroduced most of the Parliament's first-reading amendments, previously rejected by the Council, to a proposal to include airline traffic in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme. (Source: GLOBE)

The ambitious report of Peter Liese states that the share of emission permits to be auctioned should be increased and that the ceiling on emissions should be lowered. Whereas both the Council and the Commission sought to cap emissions at 2004-2006 levels, the Committee voted in favour of lowering the cap to 90% of 2004-2006 levels (a 10% reduction in emissions) by 2011 and not 2013, as it was decided by the members states.
MEPs also challenged council position on the share of emission to be auctioned by proposing 25% where Council only wants 10%. The rest of it would be distributed freely. This measure will apply to every aircraft taking off or landing in EU member state. A final vote on the issue is expected in the Parliament's plenary in July