EU DECISION ON AVIATION EMISSIONS TRADING SET FOR

UNCLAS HELSINKI 001198 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON SENV EUN FI SUBJECT: EU DECISION ON AVIATION EMISSIONS TRADING SET FOR GERMAN EU PRESIDENCY REF: SECSTATE 190254 ¶1. (SBU) Econoff delivered reftel demarche on the EU,s proposal to include international emissions from non-EU air carriers in its Emission Trading Scheme to Anna Wickstrom-Noejgaard and Anu Pulkkinen, both from the North America Unit of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Contacts were unwilling to take a position on the substance of the demarche until the European Commission issues its findings on December 20. Given the late timing of the Commission,s findings, contacts noted this issue will roll over to the German EU Presidency. GOF officials have been publicly supportive of including air travel in Europe in emissions trading, going so far as making donations to climate change mitigation projects to compensate for the CO2 emissions from air travel to and from EU meetings. However, GOF officials have fallen short of commenting on whether non-European air carriers would be included. WARE