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Non-EU Countries Oppose Inclusion of Emissions from Airlines in EU ETS

By on Mar 8, 2012
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by Prajakt Samant and Simone Goligorsky

Following the preliminary court ruling that all aviation emissions are to be regulated under the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), several non-EU countries have convened to oppose the inclusion of their airlines in the EU ETS. In a meeting held in Moscow at the end of February, a reported 26 countries, all members of the United Nation’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), met to discuss possible countermeasures to the EU ETS.

The countries, which include the U.S., China, India and Russia, stated that if non-EU based operators are forced to participate in the EU ETS, then they may consider adopting one or more of the following measures:

  • Prohibiting national airlines from participating in the EU ETS;
  • Lodging an official complaint with the ICAO;
  • Requiring EU airlines to submit data, including flight details, thereby adversely affecting entities operating in Europe;
  • Suspending current and future talks with EU airlines regarding possible new routes; and
  • Recovering the cost of the EU ETS by imposing levies and charges on EU airlines.

The countries also requested a review of the Bilateral Air Services Agreements, including the Open Skies agreement. Following the meeting in February, delegates of the opposing nations issued a declaration stating that the “inclusion of international civil aviation in the EU ETS leads to serious market distortions and unfair competition.”

Separately, Russia has stated that it would consider imposing fees on European carriers undertaking flight routes over Siberia, or capping the number of flights over Siberia. This measure would come despite Russia having previously agreed to ease the restrictions, as part of its World Trade Organization accession.  

A spokesman for the U.S. State Department stated that he hopes that the European law will be revised before coming into force, thereby exempting non-EU airlines. Instead, he is of the view that it would be prudent to adopt a scheme that would be more globally suitable. Policy makers in the EU have stated that they would be amenable to such this approach, as long as the global program adopted ensured that all airlines using EU airports paid for carbon credits.

Further meetings of the non-EU countries opposed to the inclusion are scheduled for the months.



EU ETS to Cap Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions

By on Jan 17, 2012
Posted In

by Prajakt Samant

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled preliminarily that international aviation emissions can be regulated under the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which became effective on January 1, 2012.  The December 21, 2011, ruling in Case C-366/10 dates back to December 2009, when several U.S. airlines brought judicial review proceedings to enjoin the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) from implementing its decision to extend the EU ETS to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from airplanes.

In May 2010, the High Court of England and Wales referred the issue to the CJEU, which was asked to rule on the lawfulness of the decision.  Agreeing with the opinion of the Advocate General of the CJEU, given in October 2011, the CJEU confirmed that the Aviation Emissions Directive did not infringe:

  • Customary international law, as EU regulators are entitled to permit air travel on the condition that operators comply with EU standards;
  • The Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, as the EU is not a party to it;
  • The Kyoto Protocol, as the EU is not required to pursue the limitation or reduction of GHG emissions from aviation fuels, but rather, could seek to meet GHG emissions targets as it wished; and
  • The Open Skies Air Transport Agreement that the EU and U.S. signed in 2007, as the uniform application of the EU ETS to all flights departing from EU airports is consistent with the agreement, which prohibits discriminatory treatment between U.S. and EU operators.

Airline carriers with flights passing through EU airports will therefore be required to buy emissions allowances, if they have not been doing so already.  Initially, airlines will only be required to pay for 15 percent of their emissions, with 85 percent covered by free allowance, but airlines will be fined if they exceed their allocated quota of allowances.  

The case will now return to the High Court for the completion of the judicial review.  The U.S., China and India have indicated that they may mount a challenge against the CJEU’s ruling.  In addition, certain airlines have already threatened to boycott the requirement, while others have suggested that they will pass on the costs to their passengers.  The increase in costs for airlines could lead to a competitive disadvantage for European airlines.



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