Transport & Environment dissatisfed for exemptions to the planned EU climate rules that would enjoy aircraft and ships



Transport & Environment (T&E), the association of non-government organisations based in Brussels which aims to promote sustainable transport in Europe, has welcomed today's approval by ministers. of the UE27 Environment of the EU Council's negotiating position on the European Climate Package "Fit for 55". A tepid, if not cold favour the one reserved by T&E to the news of the outcome of the meeting of European ministers motivated by the fact that the association, if it is satisfied with the project for the creation of the European carbon market, is not at all pleased with the exemptions of which, according to T&E, it enjoys, in particular, the air transport sector, but also that of shipping.

"Welcome," said Carlos Calvo Ambel, senior director of T&E, the decision of the member states to give the green light to the first ever carbon market in international shipping. But the outcome of the council meeting represents a step backward for European air travel, continuing to exempt huge amounts of emissions from this sector. "The French presidency has failed to address the climate problem of aviation," he said.

The dissatisation of T&E is aimed, in particular, at the refusal of European Union environment ministers to include air flights outside the European Economic Area in the carbon market, as proposed a few weeks ago by parliament. European. Transport & Environment has denounced that, because of this, more than 60% percent of the pollution produced by air transport will fail to make effective carbonation pricing.

With regard to shipping, if T&E is satisfied with the approval by the environment ministers of the European Commission's proposal to include international shipping in the EU ETS of emission trading quotas of the EU, however, is frustrated with the introduction of exemptions that the association notice would not be necessary and could undermine the effectiveness of the carbon market and create disparities in competition conditions in the market. Specifically, Transport & Environment does not like the proposed transitional measures for shipping for small islands : " exemptions for ferries for islands with less than 200mila inhabitants-the association noted-will not do so. more than increasing the air pollution of those islands and will reduce the incentive to make those ships greener. "

" Although the Member States have decided to start monitoring methane and nitrogen oxides produced by ships, which are two gases that contribute greatly to climate warming, these would not be automatically included in the carbon market ". The association has instead positively assessed the fact " that the ministers have decided to begin monitoring the emissions of some smaller merchant ships. "The next negotiations with the European Parliament will be an opportunity to extend this cover for ships between 400 and 5,000 tonnes of gross tonnage," T&E said.