Negotiation with Irish Presidency concluded successfully / Stopthe- clock only for one year / Clear expectations to international agreement

On Tuesday late afternoon the negotiators of the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers concluded on an agreement to the Stop-the-clockproposal of the European Commission. This means that the proposal can enter into force with the necessary amendments before 30th April. Already back in 2008 the European Union agreed to include aviation in the EU-ETS. The decision was unanimous in Council and with a big a majority of more than 90 percent in the European Parliament. There is a huge opposition against the legislation from third countries, but the European Union reaffirms again in this agreement that the legislation is there to stay.

 

The stop-the-clock is only a gesture to the international community that it is not the European Union that stands in the way of an international agreement. "We have always said that we are ready to adapt our legislation when we have an international agreement. However, nobody should put our determination in question to address the problem of aviation emissions. In the agreement it is stated that the derogation only applies for emissions from 2012 (where the certificates should be submitted until 30th April this year). Only on the basis of substantial agreement at the ICAO Assembly in September, the EU considers further steps. "This means that either ICAO will find a solution or we will continue to cover intercontinental flights in our scheme as it is foreseen", says Peter Liese, the responsible rapporteur of the European Parliament. The agreement will be submitted to the environmental committee during the next days and is foreseen for adoption in the European Parliament in April. The endorsement of the Council of Ministers is then seen a formality because it has been negotiated with the representative.