On Friday 20 May, the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU adopted their negotiating mandate for the start of inter-institutional negotiations with the European Parliament on the proposal for a decision regarding the obligation to notify operators of CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation) offsetting requirements.
This global mechanism for reducing CO2 emissions was adopted in 2018 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
This negotiating mandate should enable Member States to fulfil their obligation to notify EU-based operators of their offsetting requirements from the first deadline of November 2022.
These notifications will be based on the methodology and rules laid down by ICAO, pending the adoption of new rules by the co-legislators in the context of the revision of the Emissions Trading System for aviation (ETS), on which the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) delivered its opinion on 17 May (see EUROPE 12954/3).
The EU Council decided on 25 June 2020 to participate in the pilot phase of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.
The CORSIA offsetting requirements, which are based on a calculation using an airline’s emissions and its annual growth rate, have applied since 1 January 2021, while the ‘pilot’ phase of the scheme will end in 2023.
On the European Parliament side, a common position should be adopted at the next plenary session in Strasbourg between 6 and 9 June. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)