The European Commission has proposed to charge foreign airlines for carbon emissions over Europe’s airspace, which has proven controversial with airline groups.
Under the new proposal by the European Commission, airlines using European airspace will be charged a tax for carbon emissions on the portion of a flight that crosses the European economic area (EEA).
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The latest proposal is a retreat from EU’s existing, though frozen plan to levy tax on the full duration of flights in and out of the EU through an emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Under the plan by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), this adjustment in the legislation will apply from 1 January 2014 and until a planned global market-based mechanism (MBM) becomes applicable to international aviation emissions by 2020.
The commission expects the proposal to be approved by the European Parliament and Council by March 2014 to provide clarity for aircraft operators.
EU climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard was quoted by Reuters as saying that the bloc was within its rights to regulate aircraft emissions within its own airspace.
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By GlobalData"It is a sovereign right to regulate aviation in and around our own EU airspace," Hedegaard said.
"I very much hope our partners will see this in the spirit in which it is being presented."
However, airline groups believe that the latest proposal is against the global aviation deal that was recently signed after several negotiations at the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, and will reignite trade tensions.
Image: The latest proposal is a retreat from EU’s existing plan to levy tax on the full duration of flights in and out of the EU. Photo: courtesy of kharlosan.
