A Welcome Respite from Utopian Folly

Notwithstanding the vociferous indignation of climate protesters, European Union transport commissioner Adina Valean has set forth that her department will introduce no measures—neither restrictions nor prohibitions—to curtail the sale, ownership, or operation of business jets in Europe.

The commissioner’s assertion followed a meeting of EU member state transport ministers in which officials from Belgium and Ireland—dogmatically echoing similar sentiments expressed by the increasingly socialist-leaning governments of Austria, France, and the Netherlands—indicated they would favor tougher environmental regulations for private jets.

During the 01 June meeting in Luxembourg, transport ministers from the EU’s 27 member states delved into numerous issues, including the impact of private jet flights on Europe’s air quality.

In a jointly-written statement, the Austrian, Dutch, and French ministers declared: “This form of air travel has an excessive per-capita carbon footprint and is, therefore, rightfully subject to criticism. In view of this, recent calls for action—such as establishing bans on private jet travel—are understandable and need to be addressed appropriately.”

Characterizing private jet travel as “a hobby for the super-rich,” Austrian climate protection minister Leonore Gewessler—a climate activist and member of the political parties The Greens and The Green Alternative—called for targeted flight taxes. Gewessler’s folly was echoed by French transport minister Clement Beaune, who—in addition to formerly sponsoring an initiative to ban all French domestic airline flights for which train service of less than 2.5-hours duration is available—demanded “a more sober approach” to taxing various modes of transportation.

Valean—a Romanian who’s held the office of EU transport commissioner since 2019—averred no further regulations pertaining to private jet travel would be introduced prior to the 30 June terminus of the current commission’s mandate. On 01 July, the presidency of the European Commission will rotate, falling under the auspices of Spain for the remainder of 2023. In January 2024, the presidential mantle will be passed on to Belgium, and in June 2024, Hungary will assume the presidency. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a leader predisposed to pragmatism, has criticized the EU’s climate policies, calling the aggregate body of regulations “a utopian fantasy.”

FMI: https://european-union.europa.eu/index_en