IRELAND HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT EU AVIATION

UNCLAS DUBLIN 000069 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON SENV EUN EI SUBJECT: IRELAND HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT EU AVIATION EMISSIONS PROPOSAL REF: STATE 4858 ¶1. (SBU) Ireland and several other EU Member States have reservations about the Commission's proposal for a directive to include international aviation in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS),according to Dick Davis, Department of Transport Assistant Principal Officer for Air Navigation Services, to whom Pol/Econ Chief delivered reftel demarche on January 22. During the week of January 15, the European Council's Environment Working Group meetings made clear that the Commission aimed to move ahead on the proposal as quickly as possible, said Davis. He noted, however, that Ireland wished to develop the proposal in consultation with ICAO, preferably through discussions at the ICAO Assembly in September. Ireland and other Member States therefore pushed to include language in the draft Council conclusions discussed by the Environment Working Group to the effect that the proposal would "give due regard to the position and competence of ICAO in this matter." The Irish Government, Davis added, regarded the Commission's proposal as "worthwhile," but also recognized that aviation emissions represented only a small part of global challenges on climate change. ¶2. (SBU) In a January 24 follow-up discussion, Ethna Brogan, Transport Department Principal Officer for Air Navigation Services (Davis' superior),told Pol/Econ Chief that the Irish Government, led by the Department of the Environment, was still working out a national position on the proposal. She confirmed, however, that Irish representatives at the Environment Working Group meetings had pressed for consultation with ICAO. FOLEY