European Union ministers have formally backed the deal brokered between European Council officials and Parliament negotiators over the terms for aviation's inclusion in the EU emissions trading scheme.
The Slovenian presidency, on the last day of its six-month term in the EU presidency, says it has secured overwhelming support from EU member states to the recently negotiated proposals. The compromise deal will now be put to a vote in the European Parliament at the bill's second reading on 9 July.
Under the agreement intra-EU and flights in or out of the EU will be included in the emissions trading scheme from 2012.
It also sets the cap on the quantity of allowances allocated to airlines each year at first 97% and then 95% of 2004-6 average emissions for the 2012-20 period - although this could later be subject to change under a separate emissions trading directive.
The agreement also calls for 15% of allowances to be bought for auction.
Airline industry bodies - which have backed emissions trading as a tool for tackling aviation's climate change contribution on a global basis - have argued making the scheme too punitive for aviation would be highly damaging at time when many carriers face losses because of record high oil prices.
But president of the environment council and Slovenian environment Janez Podobnik says these measures should "by no means hurt passengers".
He says: "A tonne of CO2 costs around euros 30 [$47] today. This means that the additional cost per passenger would be around euros 5 on a round trip ticket for a European flight, euros 9 for a medium-haul flight and around euros 40 for a long-haul flight, according to the EC's impact assessment analysis.
"The industry should now focus on its role in making flights as fuel- and cost-efficient as possible. They should invest in a new generation of engines and planes."
Source: Flight International
