Brussels, 07/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 June, the president of the German airline Lufthansa, Wolfgang Mayrhuber, requested that the European Union granted “compensation” to European airlines, in an effort to cover their losses caused by the almost total suspension of air traffic in Europe due to the eruption of the Icelandic volcano in mid April (EUROPE 10121). Quoted by AFP during the general assembly of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the president said that, “we want compensation and not subsidies because we've been forced to remain stuck on the ground, which was not necessary”. AFP also quoted Mayrhuber as having suggested that an EU freeze is implemented on the European Emission Trading System (ETS), which from 1 January 2012, imposes on all airlines operating in the EU gradual reductions in their CO2 emissions (EUROPE 9962). He proposed that 2011 rather than 2010 should be taken as the annual reference year for establishing emission ceilings (A.By.)