EU officials to vote on maintaining emissions momentum

   European Parliament will vote April 4 on an amendment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme directive that brings the scheme into effect within Europe until 2016, allowing for a review to take place at the next assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
   The Permanent Representatives Committee agreed Friday to the compromise text of the regulation, which was hammered out by the European Parliament and the Hellenic Presidency of the Council on March 4.
   According to EU officials, the amendment will allow Europe to keep its momentum on aviation emissions reduction while ICAO reaches an international agreement on aviation emissions, which is to be implemented in 2020.
   “As the aviation sector has a strong international character, a global approach to addressing emissions from aviation offers the best prospects of ensuring sustainability in the long term,” according to a release by the Council of the European Union. “In line with the outcome of the 38th International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly held in September 2013, there should be a single global market-based measure applying to international aviation emissions from 2020 onward.”
   Last year, the European officials agreed to delay the further implementation of the EU ETS, which would have, in effect, charged carriers an emissions tax for flying into or through Europe. The deferment was to expire in April.