MEPs in the Committee on Transport (TRAN) of the European Parliament debated on Tuesday 8 February the revision of the ETS, which aims to ensure the aviation sector’s contribution to the ‘Fit For 55’ package (see EUROPE 12764/10) by phasing out free allowances and auctioning them off by 2027.
“There are a number of points on which our Committee on Transport is likely to differ. In my opinion report I would like to put forward several ideas to Parliament’s Committee on Environment, such as the creation of free quotas for alternative fuels and the introduction of incentives for these fuels”, said rapporteur Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Renew Europe, Germany).
The same MEP also advocates giving the European Commission the possibility to act more quickly in case of “distortions of competition”, where European companies are concerned. “There should be no assessment, no preparation of an implementing act, but direct, provisional measures that could be repealed”, he added.
“The transition must be gradual, perhaps we should opt for 2030, not 2027, for the auctioning off of allowances”, suggested Henna Virkkunen (EPP, Finland).
Other MEPs, such as Petar Vitanov (S&D, Bulgaria), also insisted on the need to take better account of the ‘non-CO2’ effects of aviation and to match “climate ambitions with measures that allow for equal competition”.
In this respect, Jan-Christoph Oetjen felt that decarbonisation should “not be at the expense of the sector’s players”, suggesting the idea of reallocating the revenue from ETS allowances purchased by carriers to aviation. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)