EU Environment ministers meeting on 2 December endorsed a suggestion to include the aviation sector in the EU-ETS as "the best way forward" to reduce the sector's impact on climate change and invited the Commission to table proposals "by the end of 2006".
They said the proposal should be accompanied by a detailed impact assessment to ensure it is "both environmentally meaningful and economically efficient". It should provide a detailed analysis of the environmental, economic and social consequences of the decision, including data on the relative market share of European air carriers compared to non-EU competitors.
The ministers also stated their preference for the cap to apply to air carriers and not to airports or aircraft manufacturers as some had suggested. The rules should apply for all flights departing from EU airports, whether internal or international. "Both the CO2 and non-CO2 impacts of aviation should be addressed to the extent possible," the ministers said.
An aviation working group set up earlier this year by the Commission will examine the practicalities and technical aspects of the forthcoming proposal. The group includes airline industry representatives.
