Reacting to the vote by the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee yesterday (27 May) on the inclusion of aviation into the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS), Sylviane Lust, Director General of the International Air Carrier Association (IACA) said:

“IACA is appalled at the extremism of the ENVI Committee in adopting such a radical ETS design. The combination of the prospect of 100% auctioning from 2013, a multiplier and a de facto closed trading system makes it a destructive package for airlines.”

“Voting for such a scheme in the context of today’s high fuel prices and economic downturn is a sign of ignorance, or denial, of the economic realities facing airlines today.”

“The ENVI committee has voted for a scheme without any effort to research or examine the full impact such an extreme design will have on airlines.”

“We call on the European Council to hold firm on their common position which already sets ambitious targets for the airline sector to address their environmental responsibilities”.