The Dutch delegation will again take the opportunity on Wednesday 26 June at the Environment Council in Luxembourg to advocate a Europe-wide taxation of aviation emissions and improved carbon pricing in the EU.
It will do so, under ‘miscellaneous’ items, in the aftermath of the high-level conference held in The Hague (20-21 June) on carbon pricing and CO2 emission reduction.
“The Netherlands is convinced that the EU should have a leading role in discussing and examining the possibilities for taxing aviation and should take action where possible. A coordinated European approach, instead of several different unilateral taxes, could prevent a shift in air passengers to neighbouring countries, have less negative economic effects and counter the fragmentation and disruption of the internal market”, according to the note that the Netherlands will present. The subject was discussed in February at the Ecofin Council, then at the Environment Council in March (see EUROPE 12208/8) and at the Transport Council on 6 June (see EUROPE 12270/6).
The Netherlands will highlight that it has recently introduced a bill to set a carbon floor price for electricity production from 2020 “to stimulate companies to become more sustainable and to take their CO2 emissions into account in their investments”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)