Main focus of Thursday, December 21, 2006

European Commission presses airlines to go green

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday, December 20th, to impose limits on the CO2 emissions of flight companies. From 2011 on they should become part of the emissions trading system. What is the scope of such measures?

taz - Germany

"Air travel to and from Europe will become more expensive – and with good reason," says Stephan Kosch. He welcomes the EU's announcement to incorporate the aviation industry into the emissions trading system starting in 2011. "The European Commission anticipates that ticket prices will increase in the first stage by 1.80 euro to 9 euros." However he also points to shortcomings in the plans presented by the EU environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas. "Emissions trading currently only takes carbon dioxide into consideration. However carbon dioxide emissions constitute less than 25 per cent of the greenhouse gases produced by the aviation industry. Harmful particles and nitrogen oxides fall by the wayside. The European Commission would also like to include a regulation on nitrogen oxides by the end of the coming year. Yet the exact wording is still unclear, leaving sufficient room for lobbyists of aviation companies, such as Lufthansa, to exert their influence." (21/12/2006)

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La Libre Belgique - Belgium

The journalist Martin Buxant considers that the aviation industry has managed to defend its interests. "Everyone has their cross to bear. This is more or less the message that the European Commission chose to convey on Wednesday [December 20th], as it announced that in the future the aeronautical sector will have to respect the imperatives of the struggle against global warming. 'We laud equity', exclaimed the European commissioner for the environment, the Greek Stavros Dimas. ... After aviation, promised the Commission, maritime transport and road transport will be targeted with similar measures. ... But don't go and believe that the European Commission has donned the uniform of the perfect little green soldier. Questioned on Wednesday, Stavros Dimas denied being subjected to pressure from certain European commissioners in order to render the quota exchange system more favourable for certain air companies. To be continued ..." (21/12/2006)

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Les Echos - France

"The world of aviation could not have hoped to escape efforts being made all over the place to fight global warming", notes the editorialist Gilles Sengès. "Europe, which sometimes seems to take pleasure in penalising its champions in the face of international competition, is now giving the impression that it considers that air transport is a 'cash cow'. ... Other than the fact that all the other abundant taxes have to be added on, here and there, according to events and circumstances (security, etc.), like the one (from 1 to 40 euros, according to class and destination) imposed by Jacques Chirac on French territory and the odd other country in order to combat pandemics in the world, a sector that is so strategic in both the business world and air transport is being treated rather lightly." (21/12/2006)

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All available articles from » Gilles Sengès

The Independent - United Kingdom

"The Commission has produced a pusillanimous set of measures; they represent the lowest common EU denominator and will do next to nothing to curb emissions", complains the British daily. "The trouble with trading schemes is that they allow the rich to persist in their profligate ways, while piling the pressure on the poor and those least well-equipped to change. It should be no mystery why profitable airlines prefer this option, too: it requires less effort on their part than any other. With aviation - one of the heaviest carbon polluters - anticipating another period of rapid expansion, there are other, more effective, ways of encouraging lower emissions. Chief among them would be a tax on aviation fuel or on the flights themselves. ... It [the EU] needs to go back to the drawing board and come up with something that meets the interests of the next generation of Europeans rather more and the commercial interests of the airlines a little less." (21/12/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Environmental Policy, » Infrastructure / Travel and Transport, » Corporations, » Europe

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