E.U. Reverses Plan For Carbon Tax On U.S. Airlines | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.13.24

Airborne-NextGen-05.07.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.08.24 Airborne-FlightTraining-05.09.24

Airborne-Unlimited-05.10.24

Sat, Mar 08, 2014

E.U. Reverses Plan For Carbon Tax On U.S. Airlines

No Enforcement On Non-European Carriers Until At Least 2017

The European Union has reversed its efforts to impose a carbon charge on American air carriers operating flights in and out of Europe through 2017.

EU ETS is a proposed emissions trading program that would levy a tax on U.S. airline carriers’ flights into and out of EU countries. It is related to European countries’ interest in reaching their own internal goals for carbon emissions. The EU program being considered would apply a “cap-and-trade” carbon tax system to all flights originating or landing in Europe—taxing even those emissions that occur over the United States, international waters, and elsewhere outside Europe. Remarkably, these taxes would not be set aside for a specific purpose, and could be used as part of the general fund of any European Union government for virtually any purpose.

The EU announced late last year that it would delay applying the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) to the aviation industry for one year to allow time for an international agreement. This week, the EU extended that delay through at least 2017.

The scheme had been opposed by members of the U.S. Congress, including Democrat Claire McCaskill (MO), who had previously joined with Republican Senator John Thune (SD), successfully passing bipartisan legislation to protect American consumers from the European Union (EU)’s illegal carbon tax on U.S. air travelers. The Senators subsequently urged the Administration to use all tools at their disposal to prevent the EU from moving forward with imposing such a tax.

“It’s a commonsense notion that Americans shouldn’t be forced to pay a European tax when flying in U.S. airspace,” McCaskill said. “It’s refreshing that common sense is prevailing with our European allies.”

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-PA) (pictured), Full Committee Ranking Member Nick J. Rahall, II (D-WV), Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), and Aviation Subcommittee Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA), released a statement on the reversal.
 
“Aviation is a global industry and we are pleased the EU now appears to be focused on working with the international community rather than unilaterally imposing an emissions tax on other nations' air carriers.”
 
Last year, the bipartisan leaders of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and Aviation Subcommittee wrote to Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx urging him to protect U.S. aircraft operators from unfairly being subjected to the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) while a global plan to reduce emissions is being developed.
 
Shuster, Rahall, LoBiondo, and Larsen were also instrumental in the passage of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011 (P.L. 112-200), legislation that directs the Secretary of Transportation to prohibit U.S. aircraft operators from participating in the EU’s aviation emissions cap and trade system.  The law also instructs U.S. officials to ensure U.S. aviation operators are not penalized by any unilaterally imposed EU emissions trading schemes.

Reuters reports that the decision is preliminary, and still requires the approval of the European Parliament.

FMI: www.europarl.europa.eu/portal/en

Advertisement

More News

Sierra Space Repositions Dream Chaser for First Mission

With Testing Soon Complete, Launch Preparations Begin in Earnest Sierra Space's Dream Chaser has been put through the wringer at NASA's Glenn Armstrong Test Facility in Ohio, but w>[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.10.24): Takeoff Roll

Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.10.24)

“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.11.24)

"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Term (05.11.24): IDENT Feature

IDENT Feature The special feature in the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) equipment. It is used to immediately distinguish one displayed beacon target from other be>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2024 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC