Notification under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)

2021/0204(COD)

The European Parliament adopted by 547 votes to 44, with 45 abstentions, amendments of the European Parliament to the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/87/EC as regards the notification of offsetting in respect of a global market-based measure for aircraft operators based in the Union.

The matter was referred to the committee responsible for inter-institutional negotiations.

The proposal for a decision introduces an amendment to aviation rules in the Emissions Trading System of the European Union (EU ETS) to implement Member States’ notification to EU-based airlines of the offsetting for the year 2021 under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

ICAO CORSIA is an offset mechanism where countries should have airlines based in those countries offset CO2 emissions that exceed the relevant baseline by international credits.

Members introduced a reference to the Paris Agreement in the recitals, the European Parliament resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environmental emergency, as well as to the resolution of 21 October 2021 on the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 in Glasgow (COP26), in which the European Parliament expressed its concern about the slow progress within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in tackling emissions from international aviation and reaffirmed, in this context, the need to regulate this sector under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

Furthermore, the European Parliament called on the Commission and the Member States to do their utmost to strengthen the carbon offset and reduction scheme for international aviation (CORSIA) and to support the adoption by ICAO of a long-term emission reduction target for the sector, while preserving the Union's legislative autonomy in the implementation of the EU ETS Directive.

This Decision would be designed as a temporary measure that applies only pending the entry into force of the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/87/EC as regards the contribution of aviation to the Union's economy-wide emission reduction target and implementing a global market mechanism as appropriate.