Bipartisan Congressional Delegation Talks Emissions With ICAO
Leadership In Montreal
A bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegation conferred in Montreal
Friday with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
leaders regarding U.S. opposition to the European Union’s
emissions trading scheme (ETS). This costly EU scheme would impose
new taxes and emissions cap and trade requirements on U.S. and
other nations’ air carriers flying into and out of the
EU.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) led the delegation of U.S.
Representatives and Committee Members. The delegation met with top
ICAO leaders, including ICAO’s U.S. Representative,
Ambassador Duane Woerth; President of the Council Roberto Kobeh
Gonzalez; Secretary General Raymond Benjamin; other ICAO delegates,
representatives of the United Kingdom and the EU, and other
officials. ICAO is the primary organization that sets international
aviation standards.
“If imposed on January 1st, this tax could close down direct
travel from most central and western U.S. airports to Europe, and
remaining airline ticket costs would skyrocket. This ill-conceived
EU aviation tax scheme is a violation of international law,”
Mica said.
“We are asking all nations to oppose this tax by the European
Union in favor of a positive outcome which can be achieved by
working with ICAO and the international community,” said
Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Tom Petri (R-WI).
On September 8, 2011, the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee approved H.R. 2594, the European Union Emissions Trading
Scheme Prohibition Act of 2011. The House of Representatives is
expected to consider the bill next week. This legislation,
sponsored by the bipartisan leadership of the Committee, the
Aviation Subcommittee, and other Members, is a strong response to
the EU’s emissions scheme and prohibits U.S. aircraft
operators from participating in the ETS. The bill also instructs
U.S. officials to negotiate or take any action necessary to ensure
U.S. aviation operators are not penalized by any unilaterally
imposed EU scheme.
Under the aviation tax scheme, flights
into or out of an EU airport, regardless of how long that flight is
in EU airspace, would be subject to the program’s emissions
cap and trade requirements. U.S. airlines would be required to pay
an emissions tax to the EU Member State to which they most
frequently fly, without any requirements that EU countries even use
these fees in emissions reduction efforts. The United States
Government and Congress continue to object to the forced
participation in the EU’s plan.
According to testimony presented to the Transportation Committee on
July 27, 2011, the Air Transport Association suggested that this
scheme would cost U.S. airlines more than $3.1 billion between 2012
and 2020, which could be used for more than 39,200 U.S. airline
jobs. Moreover, these costs could double if the cost of carbon
allowances in Europe returns to where it was within the past two
years, in which case more than 78,500 U.S. airline jobs could have
been supported.
In addition to the United States, other nations have voiced
opposition the EU’s scheme, including Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, China, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, India, Japan, the Republic of
Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Paraguay, Qatar, the Russian
Federation, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, and the United
Arab Emirates.