Brussels, 22/02/2012 (Agence Europe) - Whilst the sling of third countries hostile to European legislation including aviation in the EU emissions quota trading system (ETS) intensifies, the European Commission is still showing the same calm. With 29 member countries of ICAO, meeting in Moscow to reflect on retaliatory measures, having signed a declaration on the morning of 22 February calling on the EU to delay this legislation and threatening to bring a challenge against the ETS to ICAO, Isaac Valero Ladron, the spokesperson for Connie Hedegaard, EU Climate Action Commissioner, told the press on Tuesday 22 February: “We have not yet received a full report of this meeting and we have not yet had answers to our questions. There is nothing new and nothing concrete in this declaration. What the world needs is concrete measures to reduce CO2 emissions from air transport. We encourage the countries to make constructive suggestions to find solutions within ICAO and in the framework of the United Nations, not in parallel meetings. Until there is a global agreement, the EU will do all in its power to reduce emissions from air transport.”
Since the start of the challenges voiced by third countries, led by the United States and China, Hedegaard has said nothing else. In the event that the dispute is brought before ICAO, the EU will not hesitate to defend its legislation, the spokesperson added, pointing out that the Court of Justice has ruled that the ETS directive is perfectly legal. As for the possibility of retaliatory measures (such as third countries revoking bilateral agreements with the EU or the overflight bans on Siberia with which Russia is threatening the EU), the Commission is refusing at this stage to speculate on “hypothetical measures”. If these should take shape, the Commission will “assess the scale and impact of these” and “may take action”. (AN/transl.fl)