More than two dozen non EU countries have released a joint declaration that European Union plans to charge airlines for carbon emissions are "discriminatory" and violate global laws.
The non-EU countries are members of the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO and have agreed to lodge a formal protest against the EU's emissions trading system rules (EU ETS).
"There was wide concern expressed by all countries (at a meeting in India) that the unilaterally-imposed EU ETS measures were inconsistent with the international legal regimes," a statement on behalf of the countries said.
"The legal infirmities in the EU laws were pointed out. It was stated by the various delegates that they were also discriminatory (to) carriers."
From January 2012, airlines flying into or out of EU airports will have to surrender permits to cover all the CO2 they emit during the entire flight.
"The EU is not considering backing down," an EU spokesman said.
Aircargo Asia Pacific
Login
