EU tries to break carbon tax logjam

The European Union on Friday said it was willing to consider whether actions taken by India so far on the reduction of carbon emission will qualify as waiver under the controversial EU decision to imp­ose carbon tax on airlines using EU airports from January 1.

Several countries including India, USA, Russia, Japan and China protested against the EU decision of imposing a carbon tax on civil aviation.

The move has also been opposed by International Civil Aviation Organisation and International Air Transport Association.

But the 27-country European Block said it waited for years for ICAO to take a decision on emission reduction, which did not come, compelling the EU to take a legal step.

“India and USA have to change their participation and ask what is now that could not have happened since 1997 (when the proposal was mooted first). We want strong players to say what are the global ways of emission reduction as EU wants strong international regulations,” Connie Hedegaard, EU climate action commissioner said here on Friday.

Civil aviation is one of the major sources of green house gas emission that warms up climate with disastrous consequences.

In the wake of India mulling a retaliatory action, the EU chief climate negotiator met Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh but what transpired in the meeting is unknown. She, however, described the outcome of the meeting as “constructive.”

“We are not dictating others what to do. They can do whatever they want and we can discuss if they are equivalent measures. I invited the Indian minister so that we could engage in a discussion on equivalent measures,” she said in an indication that EU is open to the idea of considering the actions taken by India so far to qualify for the waiver.

Indian carriers have submitted their carbon emission data to the EU as per the requirement, she said.

The Central government initially asked Indian carriers like Air India and Jet not to submit carbon emission data.

“There is no clarity at the moment how the emission is measured and to whom the payment would have to be made. The carriers are not paying the tax now but they have to eventually if the EU sticks to its position,” airline sources told Deccan Herald.