CLIMATE CHANGE : AVIATION IN ETS: MEPS REJECT EP-COUNCIL DEAL.

Refusing to give in to pressure, ENVI rejects the agreement prolonging the ETS exemption for intercontinental flights

Members of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment (ENVI) narrowly rejected, on 19 March, the agreement negotiated on 4 March with the Council to prolong the existing exemption - valid until 30 April - from application of the EU's Emissions Trading System (ETS) of all intercontinental flights landing in or departing from European airports. The agreement provided for prolonging the measure until 2016.

The final say will be for the plenary session of 3 April: rapporteur Peter Liese (EPP, Germany) will present the version initially adopted by ENVI supporting the European Commission's proposal, namely to apply the ETS to the segments of flights occurring in the airspace of the European Economic Area (EEA).

MEPs rejected by 29 to 29 what many of them see as a "bad agreement" that weakens the European...