Regional Training on inclusion of aviation into the EU Emission Trading Scheme
Date: 10-11.04.2014
Place: Istanbul, Turkey
Organizer: ECRAN Secretariat and EC TAIEX UNIT
Direct emissions from aviation account for about 3% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The large majority of these emissions stem from international flights. By 2020, global international aviation emissions are projected to be around 70% higher than in 2005 even if fuel efficiency improves by 2% per year. ICAO forecasts that by 2050 emission from air traffic could grow by a further 300-700%.
Since the beginning of 2012, emissions from international aviation are included in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). In September 2013 the ICAO Assembly took the decision to develop by 2016 a global market-based mechanism (MBM) addressing international aviation emissions and with implementation date 2020. Until then countries or groups of countries, such as the EU, are allowed to implement interim measures. In response to the ICAO decision and to give further momentum to the global discussions, the European Commission has proposed amending the EU ETS directive as follows:
- Emissions from flights between airports in the European Economic Area (EEA, covering the 28 EU Member States plus Norway and Iceland) would continue to be covered.
- Emissions from flights to and from countries outside the EEA would be fully exempted for 2013.
- From 1 January 2014, flights to and from countries outside the EEA would benefit from a general exemption for the proportion of emissions that take place outside EEA airspace. Only the emissions from the proportion of each flight taking place within EEA airspace would be covered.
- To accommodate the special circumstances of developing countries, flights between the EEA and least developed countries, low-income countries and lower-middle income countries which benefit from the EU's Generalised System of Preferences and have a share of less than 1% of international aviation activity would be fully exempted from the EU ETS.
Objectives of the meeting:
Improved technical understanding of the ETS implementing provisions in relation to monitoring, reporting, verification and accreditation in the beneficiary countries among the target group aircraft operators, as well as competent authorities and potential verifiers. In addition, information will be provided on the requirements of the MRR and AVR and the guidance and templates that have been developed to support a harmonized implementation and compliance with EU ETS.
