• EU and US work out ‘open skies’ deal, but will it fly?

    T&E has written to EU transport ministers expressing concern at the draft “open skies” deal to deregulate the transatlantic airline market that has been agreed by European and US negotiators.

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    [mailchimp_signup][/mailchimp_signup]In the letter, T&E’s director Jos Dings says any agreement should “recognise the need to develop a policy framework to tackle aviation impacts on the environment.” Yet the draft deal would retain a barrier to taxing aviation fuel on transatlantic flights, and it would establish barriers to the EU introducing environmental measures in its own airspace.

    “The recent dispute about the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) showed once again that the US authorities are very hostile towards seeing US-flagged aircraft complying with EU environmental regulation,” the letter says. It therefore asks ministers not to make further concessions to the USA at this time.

    Commission negotiators talked of “a breakthrough” earlier this month when they worked out a new draft deal on the issue that has been eluded agreement for four years, but it is likely to face opposition when transport ministers discuss it later this month, particularly from Great Britain, which wants no opening of the lucrative market between London’s Heathrow airport and major US cities currently reserved for just four airlines (British, Virgin, United and American).

    MINISTERS APPROVE AVIATION IN ETS

    EU environment ministers last month agreed that aviation should be included in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme. Discussing the Commission’s proposal, the ministers said no exemption should be given to flights to and from non-EU destinations, effectively a criticism of the idea that US airlines should be allowed to join the ETS a year late (in 2012). The German environment minister Sigmar Gabriel said action on aviation was needed if the EU was to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020. “All other efforts are rendered useless if we lose our grip on the aviation sector,” he said.

    This news story is taken from the March 2007 edition of T&E Bulletin.