By IANS,
New Delhi : The International Air Transport Association (IATA) Wednesday said it is disappointed by the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) which upheld the EU plans for including foreign airlines flying over the continent in its emissions trading scheme (ETS).
The EU ETS warrants that all airlines – regardless of nationality – would be taxed if they overshoot their emission limits while operating over Europe. There are also stiff penalties (which potentially include being banned from operating in the EU region) should they fail to comply.
The ETS is scheduled to come into force from January, 2012 onward.
“Today’s decision is a disappointment. It does not bring us any closer to a much-needed global approach to economic measures to account for aviation’s international emissions,” said Tony Tyler, director general and chief executive, IATA.
“Unilateral, extra-territorial and market distorting initiatives such as the EU ETS are not the way forward.”
Recently, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted a working paper which urges the EU not to include non-EU airlines in its emissions trading system.
India played a key role in developing the paper.
“After a long debate in the council of ICAO the working paper presented by India and supported by 25 other states was fully adopted,” ministry of civil aviation had said in a statement.
The air transport industry has made global commitments to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent per annum by 2020 and to cap net emissions from 2020 and to cut net emissions in half by 2050 from 2005 levels.