Environment MEPs support airspace approach until 2016

The European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will cover CO2 emissions from intercontinental flights to or from EU airports for the emissions over EU and EEA airspace from April 2015 to April 2016, under new rules backed by environment MEPs on Thursday. The current full “stop the clock” regime, covering intra-EU flights only, will continue until April 2015. “This approach is much better than the current “stop the clock’ solution, because not only are inter-European flights included, but also flights to non-European countries, even if only for the part of the trip in European airspace,” said Peter Liese, the rapporteur. “A