On 19 March, MEPs in the Environment Committee rejected a negotiated agreement with the EU Greek Presidency and the Commission on the aviation ETS. The key element of the agreement was the extension of the “Stop the Clock” derogation until 2016 (i.e. a suspension of the law for intercontinental flights. The agreement follows the original Commission’s proposal to apply the ETS with an airspace approach from 2014 until a global Market Based Measure is implemented in 2020.
The dossier now goes to the full Parliament, which is expected to vote on 3 April. Peter Liese, the lead MEP supporting the negotiated agreement — and rapporteur in the Environment Committee – remained “optimistic that the plenary will support the compromise”.
The agreement would stop the clock only until 2016, that is when the ICAO Assembly is next scheduled to meet, so that if progress is not made the full ETS can be implemented. The deal also calls for member states to report how they spend revenues collected from auctions under the ETS.
Boeing looks forward to a final outcome in the EU process that supports a global approach at ICAO level.