• Letter to Environment Ministers on Aviation in EU-ETS

    NGOS send a letter to Environment Ministers on Aviation in EU-ETS

    We would like to underline the importance of urgently reaching an agreement with the European Council and the European Parliament on the inclusion of aviation into the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS). We believe this is essential to show the EU is united on this critical policy in the face of opposition from third countries and to ensure a strong position in negotiations at international level.

    But we are concerned that the Council has so far failed to grasp the importance of improving the Commission’s proposal to a degree that would ensure a genuine reduction in emissions from the aviation sector. We urge the environment ministers to push the Council substantially closer to the position of the European Parliament that has so far shown much more willingness to improve the environmental effectiveness of the scheme.

    This policy proposal is the first real climate legislation to be discussed in the co-decision process after EU heads of state agreed to cut emissions by 20-30% by 2020. Therefore, Europeans will see the agreement you reach on this topic as a bellwether of the EU’s commitment to combating climate change.

    As negotiations with the Parliament and Commission are taking place this week, we urge the Ministers to take into account a series of key issues