EU publishes list of airlines for emissions trading 

The list includes commercial airlines and private jet charters that fly to and from the EU, aircraft manufacturers including Airbus, and armed forces like the US Navy. The Commission stresses that the list is a live document and will be updated every year.

The new regulation kicks off implementation of a directive on the inclusion of aircraft operators in the EU's emissions trading scheme (see EurActiv LinksDossier). The legislation was adopted in January (EurActiv 02/02/09) amid criticism from the aviation industry in Europe and the United States.

The industry fears that additional carbon charges will place too heavy a burden on airlines, which are experiencing negative growth due to the economic crisis (EurActiv 27/10/08).

But the most controversial aspect is the inclusion on the list of foreign airlines that operate flights to or from European airports. The EU faced accusations that its unilateral decision would be subjected to legal challenge as foreign airlines would end up subsidising the EU aviation industry (EurActiv 09/07/08).

To provide legal clarity, the list allocates each airline to an individual member state, under whose regulation it is subsequently bound to operate.

The list was adopted on 5 August after a long delay, which has led some countries to postpone deadlines for monitoring plans. The directive obliges airlines to submit these to their administering country by 31 August, detailing how they intend to monitor and report emissions.

The UK has announced that after its parliament has published the list, it will give its airlines eight weeks to hand in their plans, while Germany has given its operators six weeks to do so. Actual monitoring will start on 1 January 2010.

Making airlines pay for the CO2 they emit represents an attempt to slash global warming gases as part of the effort to achieve the EU's climate goals. Although the share of emissions from the aviation sector is relatively small, it is growing, while emissions overall are on the decline in the EU.

In the longer term, the EU hopes to address emissions from aviation through an international agreement to ensure the competitiveness of European airlines. The bloc is eyeing the inclusion of aviation in the successor treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.