EBAA Presses for European Aviation Policy Reboot

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) is pressing for a reboot of the European Union’s decarbonization policy, including reform of the emissions trading scheme (ETS). In a policy brief released this week to its members, the industry group said that it sees the imminent rotation of the presidency of the Council of the EU as an opportunity to get policies to better reflect the realities of business aviation.

From July 1 to December 31, under the EU’s six-monthly rotation process, the Irish government will assume the presidency of the council, giving it significant authority to prioritize the policy agenda for the 27 EU states. “Dublin will be responsible for steering council work at a time when transport policy is increasingly being shaped by three priorities: competitiveness, decarbonization, and security,” said EBAA director of public affairs and communications Róman Kok. “For business aviation, this is not just a change in the institutional calendar. It is a political window that will influence how the EU balances climate ambition with operational reality.”

EBAA is encouraged by what it sees as the Irish government’s “broad and ambitious transport agenda.” The association indicated that its lobbying efforts will focus on the transition to decarbonization being workable for both EU citizens and businesses, with reporting obligations and compliance rules that are not excessively burdensome.

“Business aviation has consistently recognized sustainable aviation fuel, new technologies, operational efficiency, and market-based measures as part of that pathway,” Kok stated. “But climate policy will only succeed if it is designed around the way aviation actually operates, and not around assumptions that fit some business models while creating disproportionate burdens for others.”

Possible Emissions Trading Extension

Along with airlines, but for different reasons, EBAA is concerned about European Commission plans to extend the application of the ETS to flights between the EU and other countries. Pointing out the sector’s special role in providing more flexible transportation than scheduled carriers, EBAA has argued that its member companies could struggle to administer more extensive and complex requirements.

“Any ETS extension must therefore be assessed not only in terms of climate ambition, but also in terms of proportionality, administrative feasibility, and access to credible decarbonization tools,” said the EBAA policy brief.

EBAA is also calling for a more realistic application of rules covering use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which the group said is still not widely available. It is calling on the EU Council to “explore mechanisms that allow operators to receive recognition for SAF purchased and claimed within a credible European framework, including book-and-claim-type solutions where physical uplift is not possible at the point of operation.”

On May 18, EBAA met with the Irish permanent representative to the EU and Council of the EU’s transport attachés. The meeting covered a review of the ETS, but also the European Commission’s planned new aviation strategy and airport slot allocation.