http://www.taipeitimes.com/New...012/03/24/2003528549
India joins China in boycott of EU carbon scheme
Reuters, NEW DELHI
March 24, 2012
India on Thursday joined China in asking its airlines to boycott the EU’s carbon scheme, confirming what an Indian government source previously told Reuters and stoking a diplomatic row over the issue.
“Though the European Union has directed Indian carriers to submit emissions details of their aircraft by March 31, 2012, no Indian carrier is submitting them in view of the position of the government,” Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said.
“Hence, the imposition of a carbon tax does not arise,” Singh told lawmakers in a written reply.
The European Commission was not immediately available to comment.
India’s opposition to the Emission Trading Scheme, a major plank in the bloc’s efforts to curb carbon dioxide emissions and combat global warming, could damage the chances of the free-trade agreement it is negotiating with the EU.
On Monday, a senior government official told reporters that India would ask local airlines not to buy carbon credits from or share emissions data with the bloc.
Since January this year, all airlines using EU airports start to become liable to pay for carbon emissions, but no carriers will be handed a bill until next year.
Initially, they will also be given free allowances to cover the bulk of the cost.
The March 31 deadline is one of a series for airlines to comply with various EU requirements. Documents seen by Reuters showed that airlines, including from India and China, have previously signed up to become eligible for free allowances.
Foreign governments, including the world’s top three carbon emitters — the US, China and India — say the EU is exceeding its legal jurisdiction by charging for an entire flight, as opposed to just the part covering European airspace.
In a meeting last month in Moscow of the so-called “coalition of the unwilling,” countries opposed to the EU law — including India — agreed on retaliatory steps, although it did not agree on enforcing them.
China said last month its airlines were barred from participating in the EU scheme unless they gained government approval. Beijing has also suspended the purchase of US$14 billion worth of jets from European manufacturer Airbus.
