26 November 2010
The European Union (EU) has threatened seven Member States with legal action over their slow progress incorporating European aviation emissions legislation into national law. Cyprus, Estonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia have all been told to speed up the adoption of measures to bring the aviation sector into the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) from 2012.
The countries missed an earlier deadline to transpose the EU rules into law in February this year and have subsequently failed to legislate even after the European Commission (EC) sent a formal reminder in March 2010. The EC has received notification that the process is underway in all seven counties but, on the recommendation of Climate Action Commissioner, Connie Hedegaard, it has sent each Member State a reasoned opinion, the final step before legal proceedings, asking them to accelerate the process.
Those States that fail to do so could be brought before the European Court of Justice. The EU passed legislation last year to include all aircraft operators that fly into or out of EU airports in the EU ETS from the start of 2012, as part of efforts to reduce aviation carbon emissions, which have doubled since 1990.
The EC said that even if airlines meet voluntary targets to improve fuel efficiency by 2% a year – a figure agreed on in November 2010 in Montreal – emissions would soar to 70% above 2005 levels by the end of the decade and could increase to 300% and 600% higher by 2050.
http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/1900727/eu-runway-aviation-emissions-trading