EU Welcomes Global Aviation Emissions Deal

WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The European Commission today welcomed the decision by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to develop a global market-based mechanism to tackle airline emissions. This will be accompanied by a series of technical and operational measures to reduce emissions.

European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas said: "I am very pleased that after long and hard negotiations we finally have a global deal on aviation emissions. This is good news for the traveling public, good news for the aviation industry, but most importantly it is very good news for the planet."

EU Climate Action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: ''The EU's hard work has paid off. After so many years of talks, ICAO has finally agreed to the first-ever global deal to curb aviation emissions. If it hadn't been for the EU's hard work and determination, we wouldn't have got this decision today to create a global market-based measure. What matters to us is that the aviation sector also contributes to our efforts to reduce emissions."

With this deal, the aviation industry becomes the first international transport sector to apply a global market-based mechanism to reduce their emissions.

More information:

http://www.euintheus.org/press-media/the-commission-welcomes-agreement-on-global-aviation-emissions-deal/

Press release:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-918_en.htm

ICAO: Aviation Assembly conclusions:

http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-13-917_en.htm

SOURCE Delegation of the European Union to the United States