Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be adopted, on behalf of the European Union, in respect of an international instrument to be elaborated by the ICAO bodies and intended to lead to the implementation from 2020 of a single global market-based measure addressing emissions from international aviation

The 21st Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Climate Change successfully adopted the Paris Agreement whose objective is to limit global temperature increase well below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit temperature increase to 1.5°C. By 2050, global greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced by at least 50% below their 1990 levels. All sectors of the economy should contribute to achieving these emission reductions, including international aviation.

Greenhouse gas emissions from international aviation represent more than 2% of global emissions and are growing exponentially, with projections for 2050 indicating that, under a 'business as usual' scenario, such emissions from aviation activities could grow above 200% compared to current levels. The Commission Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on 'The Paris Protocol – A blueprint for tackling global climate change beyond 2020' underlines that ICAO should act to effectively regulate emissions from international aviation before the end of 2016.

Despite the technological improvements, the potential for reduction of the overall emissions is limited in the aviation sector and market-based measures have therefore been recognised as a suitable measure to allow aviation to contribute to overall emission reductions. At the 38th Session of the ICAO Assembly in 2013 it was decided to develop a single global market-based measure addressing international aviation emissions with a view to taking a decision by the 39th Session of the ICAO Assembly (27 September to 7 October 2016) for the implementation of the scheme from 2020.

It is therefore necessary to adopt, as soon as possible and well ahead of the next ICAO Assembly, the position that Member States, acting jointly in the interest of the EU, should abide by with regard to the decision to be taken by ICAO. The position taken by the Union shall be expressed by the Commission and the Member States in ICAO bodies. The development of a proposal for such a instrument involves multiple ICAO bodies, including the ICAO Council. It is also necessary to adopt an EU position to ensure consistency with existing EU law.

EUR-Lex: COM(2016)183: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2016:183:FIN

ESO: Background information: Commission welcomes landmark deal on CO2 standard for aircraft emissions http://www.europeansources.info/record/statement-commission-welcomes-landmark-deal-on-co2-standard-for-aircraft-emissions/

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