This is idiotic. The EU carbon trading cabal has decided to extort the rest of the air travel world starting in 2012. In a nutshell, they’ll ban flights from landing if the airlines don’t engage in carbon trading. It’s yet another variation of the “Plane Stupid” theme.
Benny Peiser of the GWPF alerts us to the translation of the article in the German magazine Handelsblatt
By Thomas Ludwig
Foreign airlines are threatened with a flight and landing ban from 2012 in the European Union if they do not participate in emissions trading.
The ban is proposed in an internal document by the EU Commission seen by Handelsblatt. Summarised on nine pages, the guidelines describe how such a ban could be implement. The Commission considers a flight and landing ban as a last resort to make the airlines surrender over its Emissions Trading Scheme.
An EU Directive stipulates that airlines from Europe and third countries are mandated to be included in the trading of emissions rights. On their flights to and from Europe, they may then only emit as much CO2 as the CO2 certificates they hold. 85 percent of the certificates are free of charge while 15 percent of the allowances have to bought via auctions.
“The whole project has not been thought through. The EU cannot impose its law on third countries,” Holger Krahmer, environmental spokesman for the German Liberal Party in the EU Parliament told Handelsblatt.
In fact, international resistance against the EU plan is growing. Several American, Asian and African airlines are suing the EU over its emissions trade project. The US Aviation Association ATA is attempting to have the policy suspended by the European Court of Justice. And the Russian government has also voiced its displeasure in Brussels.
Not even critics of the project believe that the European Commission will actually ban flights by American and other foreign airlines. “They will use it as leverage, and accept compensation measures,” estimates Liberal MEP Holger Krahmer. The EU Commission is looking for a face-saving way out: “What remains are the costs of CO2 allowances, which will only burden European airlines and make them uncompetitive” Airlines such as Lufthansa and Air Berlin had already warned of this danger in the legislative process.
“The EU has once again overestimated itself,” said Krahmer. “The project was not thought through. The EU cannot impose its legal authority on third countries.”
At the end of September, the general assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will take place. Some countries, such as the U.S. want to adopt a resolution, which will make clear that emissions trading systems may only be applied by mutual agreement.
“Greenhouse gas emissions have increased dramatically, particularly in air traffic,” said Social Democrat MEP Matthias Groote. The climate expert warns against granting exemptions to noncompliant airlines from third countries. “If the U.S. and other countries try to suspend the EU emissions trading regime for third countries, it would lead to a huge distortion of competition for European airspace.” It is more important than ever to integrate international aviation into the EU’s emissions trading system. After all, the emissions of greenhouse gases in air traffic have doubled in the past two decades.
The EU Directive, which includes aviation in emissions trading, is part of a package of regulations with which the EU wants to meet its climate protection goals. Emissions of greenhouse gases should fall by a fifth by 2020 under the 1990 level […]
The inclusion of aviation in the Emissions Trading Scheme will impact consumers too. According to calculations by the EU Commission, a ticket for a return flight within the EU could become more expensive by up to nine Euros because of emissions trading. For long-haul flights, larger price increases can be expected, a return ticket to New York could be up to 40 Euros more expensive. [translation by Philipp Mueller]
Full story here: Handelsblatt, 22 September 2010
h/t to Benny Peiser http://www.thegwpf.org
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If only we could have Minister Hacker and Sir Humphrey working on this problem. I am certain the could sort it out right quick now!
Certainly the British could sort this out, but we need to see their current government changed first!
Here in the UK over population is becoming a problem and our politicians are under pressure to curtail immigration so they have welcomed the EUSSR landing tax with open arms.
You can see the cogs turning – “no tax on take off that way more out than in”.
Yes I am being sarcastic, but I am talking UK politicians here, people that think they can solve 21st century energy problems with technology from the Middle Ages so to UK citizens a landing tax is a minor aberration, our politicians demonstrate on a daily basis that they are capable of far greater lunacy.
We needed US help twice in the last century to ward off the ills of Europe, beginning to look as though we will need the US again.
EU: the ugly face of creeping fascism. And our lunatic MPs think being in the EU is a jolly good idea. If it’s so good why won’t they ask the UK electorate if we’re happy about joining the club?
What do they hope to achieve with a carbon tax on air travel?
I thought the point of these taxes was to force/fund the development of alternate, ‘green’ energy sources. E.g, a carbon tax on coal-fired power stations is intended to move us to ‘renewable’ power sources such as solar and wind.
What do the airlines move to? Maybe we can we launch gliders using magnetic rail guns powered from renewable energy.
EVERYONE!
It is time to invest in parachute-manufacturing and distribution.
We’re looking at a goldmine here!
Re Amabo
That may sort out arrivals into the EU, assuming your parachute misses the windmills. Departure however may not be so easy. The Fulton pickup isn’t for the faint hearted-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fulton_surface-to-air_recovery_system
and believe me, once you’re experienced EUromadness in all it’s glory, you’d want to leave. Perhaps NAFTA could be rebranded as North Atlantic, we dump the EU and join that instead?
Interesting — will Boeing halt their manufacturing in the Euro Zone? They are the company that makes the “evil” carbon engines and these aren’t cheap toys. Let me guess, they are in the 85% free camp?
Does anyone happen to know where the 15% EU carbon tax funds go, who administrates the funds, and what percentage of the proceeds actually accomplish anything?
That was studied and debated after the three-day air-traffic hiatus from 9/11/2001 to 9/13/2001.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v418/n6898/fig_tab/418601a_F1.html
The Nature article concluded that high temps were higher and low temps were lower. AGW proponents say it is just bad science. And who are we to contradict the experts on bad science?
Note: It’s a pay article, so the reference is to the figures of the paper. Link back to the article to see the abstract.
“Oh, and am I the only one that finds it “odd” they “will not let planes land” … after a transatlantic flight and with empty fuel tanks??! Surely that’s not what they mean!”
Landing rights are granted before take-off. They should have said “not be granted landing rights.”
Spare a thought for those of us who have fought tooth and nail to stop the EU, especially here in Old Blighty.
I don’t think I can express my hatred of it, or its multiple layers of quislings in British politics here without getting snipped.
Copenhagen. It would have been sweet if the thousands could have not landed there.
Maybe Mexico can get a tarriff.
The EU carbon traders are desperate. Good news there. Grin at them.
Is this a key indicator of some potential for an EU collapse into isolationist protectionist (economic variety) territorialism? Or is it just more mundane evidence of an ongoing slide?
John
Wen already pay a ‘fuel levy’ on flights out of E.U. countries. I’ve been saving the flight details for the last few years in the hope I may one day be able to take the govt to the small claims court for extortion.
savethesharks says:
Hey…that’s kind of a really ignorant, xenophobic statement.
Huh?? I like Europeans. I just have no desire to go there. HUGE difference.
Will the EU survive until 2012?
Atomic Hairdryer says:
September 28, 2010 at 7:02 am
NASA is already researching, thanks to its program “Reaching out the Crescent Moon”, for a FLYING CARPET.
Sincerely, we do suspect this is an unavoidable consequence of Brussels filled up to the top of a multitude of noses with big aspirations, that is why they chose Mexico for their next Climate Jamboree. White Stuff anyone?
Hey Brussels guys’ guess you can “fix it”, you just tell us where…
“Greenhouse gas emissions have increased dramatically, particularly in air traffic,” said Social Democrat MEP Matthias Groote. The climate expert warns against granting exemptions to noncompliant airlines from third countries.
Is this what passes for a climate expert in Germany?
Secondary school in Westrhauderfehn (leaving exam 1990); industrial engineer (1995); worked as an industrial engineer in plant design (1995); alternative public service with German Red Cross (1995-1996). Mechanical engineer (1999); qualified industrial engineer (engineering college) (2005). Sales engineer (2005).
The financial institutions cannot stand competing in the free markets. They are frequently resorting to state sponsored dictats forcing massive fraudulent costs on the masses.
Money for nothing. Goldman Sacks at it again.
Mike Ford says:
September 28, 2010 at 8:08 am
savethesharks says:
Hey…that’s kind of a really ignorant, xenophobic statement.
Huh?? I like Europeans. I just have no desire to go there. HUGE difference.
=====================================
Thanks for clarifying that.
But to say you would not want to visit the likes of Venice, London, Zurich, Munich, Barcelona, Paris, Belfast, Prague, Amsterdam, Vienna, among many others….makes no sense whatsoever.
Just because despicable statism abounds with the EU and Europeans are regularly stripped of their rights [ask Lord Monkton about that one]…does not negate the fact that Europe is the cradle of Western Civilization and pretty much MOST of what brought homo sapiens out of the stone age.
Take Britain alone. Two thousand years of history conquered by various people groups over that time: The Celts, the Romans, the Angles and the Saxons, the Normans [who were actually Vikings who spoke French], etc.
I mean just the fact that the miracle of the symphony orchestra originated from Europe should give you pause…
You have no desire to visit there?
You have got to be kidding me, dude.
Chris
Norfolk, VA, USA
Fees, tariffs, taxes, etc., etc., once you start it’s hard to stop. Politicians are the most voracious omnivores on the planet. World Wars followed by Great Depressions tend to squash their appities for a decade or two, but there’s no guarantee that trend is still valid; they seem to overcome these temporary downturns by something akin to old fashioned red ink and another World War to get industry going again and open new markets. Ain’t Economics-101 a blast?
Should this scheme be implemented successfully, I propose a simple solution for third countries:
Impose a tax on EU nationals entering their country. Pass the revenue to the airlines.
Flight 101 preparing for landing.
Hello tower
Hello.
We’re ready to land.
Reaheaheally?
Yes, we’re running on fumes up here! (No one saw that one coming I’m sure.)
Sure, just give us your carbon dioxide trading account?
What?
Your CO2 trading account number, so we can verify that your into this ponze scheme, er I’m meant climate saving the whole save the earth and nuthing but save the earth stuff.
[erie silence]
Well, hello?
Well if you don’t want to land just say so?
Heeeellooooooo!
Tower Guru puts in: Charlie?
Yeah
Didn’t you see the fire works?
@Savethesharks: I’ve been to London, Rome, Zurich, Strasbourg, …
Nice enough and all. But… “cradle of civilization”? Um, pardon, but I think that Egypt and Babylon beat it by a ways. And just as I’d not want to wander Bagdad or Cairo today (they having little in common with their ancestral accomplishments) wandering around European places that can’t quite remember their old glories and past accomplishments and who’s values today are the antithesis of those that had made them great is similarly un-interesting.
I can see the statues and buildings just fine on the internet, and don’t have to put up with the “hustle and bump”, the rip-offs, the arrogant waiters, the… well, the thing they have turned into today.
BTW, the stone age was well over long before Europe mattered. In India they have found a city, well laid out with streets and buildings in good order, reasonably modern and showing an advanced civility. Under a couple of hundred feet of water off shore… so from prior to the big melt at the end of the ice age. So if you want to learn about the beginnings of civilization, I suggest immersion in Sanskrit and Coptic / Hieroglyphic so you can read up on it. Oh, and cuneiform would help with the Babylonian bits. Gilgamesh in particular would be a nice place to start. And notice that the Egyptians were using metals from way back. They even had mirrors and cosmetics, and bottled beer.
That, after a few dozen empires came and went, (Persian anyone?) Europe managed to glean a bit of afterglow does not make it very central.
(BTW, all my ancestors are from the Celtic-Anglo-German-French area, so I’m tossing rocks at my own folks. We were bowling with the skulls of Danes not that many hundred years ago…)
The Celtic invention of soap was one of the best aspects; and the Romans just tossed it away. In a long history of slaughter and oppression.
Then they adopted a religion from a small cult in the middle east and used it as an excuse for the inquisition and crusades. Killing more millions.
This penchant carried forward into the (God I’ve lost track of how many) numberless campaigns of destruction upon each other (Napoleon, King George, …) even into the 20th century.
Finally dragging my family (that had just barely escaped the oppression and slavery of one European group by another) back from this free land to go end 2 more “World Wars” caused by European avarice and “history making”.
Sounds like a great place… /sarcoff>
So yes, I would much rather spend my time visiting French Polynesia, New Zealand, Chile, Brazil (Rio? or?), the islands of the Caribe, Japan, maybe even a bit of India and China (to see how fallen giants rise again thousands of years later), Patagonia and a jaunt to the Antarctic Peninsula, and, frankly, spending a month crossing The Outback in a caravan with the spouse and soaking up a place with a 50,000 year old culture… All of those (and many many more – islands in the Indian and Pacific oceans, for example) rank far ahead of Europe on my “bucket list”.
Europe has lost it’s way. Again. It is infatuated with central power, and will be enslaved by it. Again. And this time neither me nor my kids will come over and end it. Given the relative birth rates, the muslims will dominate Europe inside 50 years anyway. Then all the artworks can be destroyed and the cycle will be complete. Again…
The future belongs to China and Asia writ large. With luck, the Americas can watch from the sidelines this time as China crushes a decaying Europe (economically at first) and the Third World War breaks out on the Middle East to China axis. I’m pretty sure China won’t offer us the money on loan to come help Europe the next time, and I’m all for staying home. Perhaps Sao Paulo …