Brussels / Strasbourg, 12/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption last week in Strasbourg of the report by Caroline Lucas (Greens, UK) on the Commission's communication on "Air Transport and the Environment", the European Parliament took a stance in favour of taxes on kerosene. It also called on the Council to give the European Commission a brief for negotiating revision of aircraft noise with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The report adopted by 429 votes to 58 with 15 abstentions seeks to strike a balance between the need to safeguard the competitiveness of European airlines on the global market and the need to take the environment impact of the rise of air traffic into account. Air traffic rose 43% between 1993 and 1997. The most controversial issues, concerning taxation of kerosene, the adoption of unilateral measures or the criteria for attributing time slots were nonetheless adopted by a very slim majority.
Air craft noise. The EP "considers that the Community should support and strengthen the ICAO process of revising noise stringency levels in order to meet as far as possible the particular needs of the densely populated, industrialised EU". The Lucas report insists in the motion for a resolution on the central role of the ICAO at global level and on the fact that the EU should not create unnecessary differences where global standards exist. Without explicitly mentioning the dispute with the United States on the ban within the EU of aircraft fitted with hushkits, the EP nonetheless remarks that the Commission must seek to implement complementary measures if the ICAO does not reach a satisfactory agreement.
MEPS also call on the EU to "develop Community-wide guideline values taking into account e.g. the WHO guidelines for community noise and all sources of environmental noise", and that it adopt common objectives regarding exposure to noise.
Speaking of air traffic management, MEPs "asks the Commission to develop a new policy framework to allow slot allocation also to be linked to the environmental performance of aircraft and operations, including the prioritisation of slot allocation for journeys where high speed rail alternatives do not exist". The adopted by 273 votes to 219 with 11 abstentions the amendment recommending this measure, which is the subject of bitter discussions between the Commission, the airline companies and the airports regarding the communication on slot allocation that the Commission is to present this autumn.
Transport prices and kerosene tax. MEPs consider that "for reasons of environmental policy, it is necessary to introduce a kerosene tax on all routes departing from the EU", a measure on which the Commission will show great caution in the communication. Falling an international agreement on kerosene tax, the EP urges for a "Community-wide environmental charge based on the polluter pays principle", to guarantee "fair competition between modes of transport". Here too, the Parliament voted by a slim majority in favour of the environment with the adoption of this amendment by 269 in favour to 238 against and 70 abstentions. Finally, MEPs call (265 for, 235 against and 5 abstentions) for the Commission to present before end 2000 a report on the "economic impact of the zero-rating of VAT on air tickets, kerosene, and the purchase of new aircraft, as well as the exemption of kerosene from excise duty, and direct subsidies to airports and airlines".