New Delhi: The government said it may stop European carriers from flying into the country if the European Union bans airlines from India that boycott the EU’s new emissions fee system.
The EU in mid-May gave India and China a month to comply with the airline carbon emissions fee system across the 27-nation bloc, or face penalties for flights into and out of Europe.
EU Commissioner for Climate Change Connie Hedegaard said all EU airlines and “nearly all” world airlines had agreed to hand over emissions data required under the controversial carbon levy that took effect on 1 January.
“There has been a very, very high level of compliance... the only exception is Chinese and Indian carriers,” she said earlier this month.
While some 1,200 airlines have complied with the EU requirements, eight Chinese and two Indian airlines representing less than three percent of aviation emissions in the bloc have refused.
India and China have attacked the EU scheme, calling it a unilateral trade levy disguised as an attempt to fight climate change. India in April barred its airlines from complying with the EU carbon fee, joining China in resistance.
The EU says the tax aims to help it achieve a goal of cutting emissions by 20% by 2020 and has said no airline will face a bill until 2013 after this year’s carbon emissions have been tallied.
It says the cost for the airlines is manageable, calculating that the scheme could force the carriers to add between €4.0 ($5.00) and €24 to the price of a long-haul round-trip.
European authorities have warned that the Chinese and Indian carriers could face penalties if they fail to submit data by an extended deadline of 15 June.
European authorities said that, as a final measure, banning repeat offenders could be considered.
Dow Jones News Wires contributed to this story.
