The European Union is losing support for its Emission Trading Scheme, which requires aircraft companies and owners to track their carbon emissions and pay fees for emissions over a set amount. The “Airbus ministers,” representatives from U.K., Spain, France, and Germany, publicly asked the EU to either postpone or be flexible about implementing the ETS.
U.S. position
It’s becoming clear that both the administration and Congress oppose the ETS. Secretary Clinton and Secretary LaHood sent letters last December requesting European leaders to change ETS requirements or face U.S. action. Republican John Thune and Democrat Claire McCaskill are sponsoring a bill that will be brought to a vote in the Senate this week. This bill already passed its committee, and it would keep U.S. airlines from having to comply with ETS requirements.
If passed, the House of Representatives can either pass the Senate bill or combine it with the version the House passed last year. At the time, ranking members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure urged representatives to support the House bill.
They offered numerous reasons to reject the EU ETS:
- Violation of international law
- Many other countries oppose the scheme
- Infringes on U.S. sovereignty by taxing U.S. aircraft for travel over U.S.
- U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is correct forum for such regulations
We should know by the end of the week if this crucial bill for aviation will move forward or stall until mid-November. In the meantime, the NBAA offers step-by-step compliance instructions for members.