Opinion
by Magnus Nilsson, T&E Senior Campaigner
Raising taxes on fossil fuels is pretty much the only climate policy tool that in all circumstances delivers real emission reductions. Telling people that the cost of petrol and diesel will have to rise may be a difficult message for politicians to put across, but if this method is rejected or not possible, climate policy will simply become unnecessarily costly.
The French government is reducing its subsidies for people buying fuel-efficient cars but is increasing penalties for buyers of high-consumption vehicles.
The Belgian government is putting up taxes on company cars in a package that will bring in around €200 million a year.
On 2 November, the governing body of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is scheduled to discuss a paper put forward by 26 countries calling for the adoption of a joint declaration against the inclusion of aviation emissions in the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) from 2012, originally signed in New Delhi on 30 September. The background briefing explains events leading up to the declaration and links to a legal case brought by three American airlines against the EU.
OpinionBy Jos Dings - T&E Director
In recent weeks a number of foreign airlines have been heard complaining about their inclusion from next year in Europe’s emissions trading system (EU-ETS). It was no coincidence that the collective moan emanated from the industry’s annual gathering in Singapore. Nothing rallies the airline troops like a rant against environmental policy, and the journalists who had shown up in Singapore had to write about something. But this time, even Willie Walsh, boss of British Airways, found himself speaking out against a law he himself favoured when it was in the making. His complaints echoed warnings from Airbus of a trade war in a letter to the European Commission.
T&E response to the EU consultation on the Community Guidelines on financing of airports and start-up aid to airlines departing from regional airports
Proposal on how to improve the Energy Tax Directive by Green Budget Europe, the European Environmental Bureau and Transport & Environment
The EU has reached an agreement on revised road charging rules for lorries (the Eurovignette directive) that would open the door for Member States to charge for air and noise pollution in road tolls but introduces a loophole for lorries under twelve tonnes. The deal was finalised last night in 'trialogue' discussions between the European Commission, Council and Parliament.
This briefing aims to provide a short overview of the history and present status of EU energy tax policy, and summarises the Commission's proposal for a revised Energy Tax Directive (ETD), launched in April 2011.