ICAO CAEP 6: ITALIAN VIEWS

UNCLAS ROME 000354

SIPDIS


SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EB/TRA (WALKLET);
FAA FOR AEE-1 (BURLESON);
FAA BRUSSELS FOR AEU-1 (FELDMAN);
MONTREAL FOR US ICAO MISSION

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON SENV IT AVIATION
SUBJECT: ICAO CAEP 6: ITALIAN VIEWS

REF: SECSTATE 11541

(U) THIS CABLE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. PLEASE PROTECT
ACCORDINGLY. NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.


1. (SBU) SALVATORE MINEO, ITALY'S CAEP REPRESENTATIVE AND
ENAC (NATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY) DIRECTOR FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, MET JANUARY 30 WITH SENIOR FAA
REPRESENTATIVE AND SCIENCE COUNSELOR. MINEO IS UNABLE TO
PARTICIPATE IN CAEP 6 DUE TO ILL HEALTH, BUT WILL BE
REPRESENTED BY PAOLO CIANCAGLIONI, ITALY'S DEPUTY
REPRESENTATIVE AT ICAO. DURING THE SECOND WEEK OF CAEP 6,
PAOLO DRAGO, A NOISE EXPERT FROM ALITALIA, WILL ALSO BE
PRESENT AS A TECHNICAL ADVISOR. ENAC REGULATORY DIRECTOR
ALESSANDRO CARDI MAY ALSO SEND ANOTHER ENAC OFFICIAL TO CAEP
6, BUT NO ONE HAS YET BEEN NAMED.


2. (SBU) BALANCED APPROACH: MINEO EMPHASIZED THAT ITALY WAS
VERY CLOSE TO THE U.S. POSITION ON THE BALANCED APPROACH. HE
PARTICIPATED IN A RECENT EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH EU CAEP
REPRESENTATIVES IN LONDON, AND FELT THAT THERE WAS BROAD
SUPPORT FOR ADOPTING THE GUIDANCE MATERIAL. ITALY HAS
ALREADY IMPLEMENTED THE BALANCED APPROACH, AND ENAC IS
WORKING TO EXPLICITLY INCORPORATE IT INTO ITALIAN LEGISLATION.


3. (SBU) NOX: MINEO STATED THAT THE EU WOULD LIKELY SUPPORT
NOX REDUCTION TARGETS IN THE 20 PERCENT RANGE. THERE WAS A
SENSE IN EUROPE THAT PUBLIC OPINION WOULD BE STRONGLY IN
FAVOR OF MORE STRINGENT REDUCTIONS, AND THAT 10 PERCENT
TARGETS -- EVEN AS A STARTING POINT -- WOULD RISK PUBLIC
OPPOSITION. MINEO EXPECTED SOME TYPE OF U.S./EU COMPROMISE
TO BE REACHED AT CAEP 6, SO LONG AS THERE WAS A STRONG
COMMITMENT TO NOX REDUCTION.


4. (SBU) GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: MINEO STRESSED THAT THE
EU AND U.S. POSITIONS WERE RATHER DIFFERENT ON THIS ISSUE,
AND THAT THE ITALIAN/EU POSITIONS WERE RELATED TO THE KYOTO
PROTOCOL. HE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF
AIRLINES MADE PROSPECTS OF EMISSIONS CHARGES UNLIKELY IN THE
NEAR FUTURE, BUT SUCH CHARGES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN OPTION
FOR THE DISTANT FUTURE. ITALY WOULD PREFER VOLUNTARY
MECHANISMS, BUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH MEASURES WOULD NEED
TO BE STUDIED AND DISCUSSED. MARKET-BASED MECHANISMS WOULD
DEFINITELY NEED FURTHER STUDY OF POTENTIAL LEGAL AND
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLICATIONS.
SEMBLER

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2004ROME00354 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED