Finland supports the current scope of emissions trading in aviation activities
The European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on amending the Emission Trading Directive with regard to air transport on 3 February 2017. According to the proposal, emissions trading would continue in 2017-2020 under the same rules as in 2013-2016. The Finnish Government submitted a communication on the matter to the Parliament on 9 March 2017.
Finland supports the proposal to continue to apply emissions trading to intra-EEA flights only. Without this limitation, emissions trading would be extended to cover not only intra-EEA flights but also flights between the EEA and third countries.
Extending the scope of the emissions trading scheme would make it much more difficult to agree on the details of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation CORSIA in the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO. It would also place the aviation relations of the European Union and its Member States with third counties at risk, as third counties do not want the European Union to regulate their air transport by unilateral measures.
According to the proposal, the total volume of emission allowances would be 95% of the average emissions in 2004-2006.
The Commission has proposed the introduction of a linear emission reduction factor and that the exemption concerning small non-commercial aircraft operators should be continued. In the Finnish view the decisions on these issues should be made only after an agreement has been reached on the details of CORSIA. However, Finland can accept the processing these matters at this stage, provided that the quite tight schedule will not be compromised.
Finland stresses the importance of continuing the work on the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, which should be as extensive, non-discriminatory and environmentally efficient as possible in order that there is no need to maintain other, overlapping schemes.
The processing of the proposal has started in the Working Party on the Environment of the Council of the European Union. The legislation on aviation activities in the Emission Trading Directive should be adopted and in force by early 2018.
