On 27 September the European Commission proposed including aviation in the EU's emissions trading scheme (ETS) aimed at curbing emissions of heat-trapping gases which contribute to global warming.
"Aviation's share of overall EU greenhouse gas emissions is still modest at about 3%, but its emissions are growing faster than any other sector and risk undermining progress achieved through emission cuts in other areas of the economy," the Commission said in a statement.
Under the plan, a cap on CO2 would be set for all flights departing from the EU, including international flights, so that European airlines are not put at a disadvantage as against foreign competitors. The measure would thus "apply to all carriers without regard to nationality," the Commission indicated.
"There is a growing consensus in the aviation sector that emissions trading represents the best way forward to cut greenhouse gas emissions," said Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot.
The actual cap on emissions is yet to be determined but a study published by the Commission earlier this year showed it should not add more than 9 euros to the price of a return ticket (EurActiv, 1 August 2005).
Under the current system, national governments set a cap on emissions of individual companies (in a so-called National Allocation Plan) which is then approved or rejected by the Commission. The system is rather straightforward in so far as the big polluting plants can be easily identified as falling under a member states' responsibility.
But in the case of aircrafts, it remains to be seen who would be in charge of setting a cap on foreign carriers.
A group of experts including airline industry representatives is to hold regular meetings under the supervision of the Commission over the next months to discuss the practicalities and technical aspects of the proposal. Their recommendations will be fed into a report and taken into consideration by the Commission when it tables its formal legislative proposal in the course of 2006.
