“Europe’s citizens need to be aware that their interests are not always well-served by certain sectors of the European Parliament (EP). European air transport already has to bear record high fuel prices and the proposals on Emissions Trading supported this morning by the Parliament’s Environment Committee would, if enacted, be catastrophic for many intra-European air services.  Conversely they would yield negligible environmental benefits”, said Mike Ambrose, Director General of the European Regions Airline Association.

Throughout the past three years, the principal Airline Associations in Europe have supported the implementation of a moderate and practicable Emissions Trading Scheme for aviation. However, the original proposals put forward by the European Commission have now been hijacked by extremism in the EP Environment Committee, ERA said.

“What makes this entire process so deeply frustrating and concerning is that the Environment Committee has supported these measures without any robust assessment of their future impact on intra-European air services and employment.  Many of Europe’s regional and peripheral communities depend on air transport but such reliance seems to be dismissed as unimportant within the ENVI Committee.  Threatening the livelihoods of so many EU citizens and communities that directly or indirectly depend on air transport seems irrational when, according to the latest data provided by the European Commission, air transport accounts for only 2.8% of all greenhouse gas emissions”, Ambrose continued.

There is no doubt that many airlines and their employees now have to rely for their future wellbeing on the European Council of Ministers maintaining, without needless compromise, its own more moderate formulation as Ambrose said.

“When Emissions Trading is implemented, there will be no going back.  It is essential that the airline industry, that has consistently supported a constructive approach to Emissions Trading, is not damaged irrevocably and needlessly through well-meaning but extreme and ill-advised measures”, Ambrose concluded.