Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ROME1060
2009-09-16 07:08:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Rome
Cable title:  

USG-OWNED OR -OPERATED AIRCRAFT ON THE EU ETS LIST

Tags:  EAIR ECON SENV KGHG EUN 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6689
RR RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHRO #1060/01 2590708
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 160708Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2664
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS 4862
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE 3793
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES 4002
RUEHMT/AMCONSUL MONTREAL 0002
RHMCSUU/FAA NATIONAL HQ WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001060 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EEB/TRA/OTP FOR MEGAN WALKLET-TIGHE
EUR/ERA FOR MATTHEW BEH
USEU BRUSSELS FOR PEG CATON
FAA API FOR JENNIFER KILEO
FAA AEA FOR KURT EDWARDS
MONTREAL PASS TO ICAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON SENV KGHG EUN
SUBJECT: USG-OWNED OR -OPERATED AIRCRAFT ON THE EU ETS LIST

REF: (A) ROME 01029 (B) STATE 89892

ROME 00001060 001.2 OF 002


- - - - -
Summary
- - - - -

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001060

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

EEB/TRA/OTP FOR MEGAN WALKLET-TIGHE
EUR/ERA FOR MATTHEW BEH
USEU BRUSSELS FOR PEG CATON
FAA API FOR JENNIFER KILEO
FAA AEA FOR KURT EDWARDS
MONTREAL PASS TO ICAO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON SENV KGHG EUN
SUBJECT: USG-OWNED OR -OPERATED AIRCRAFT ON THE EU ETS LIST

REF: (A) ROME 01029 (B) STATE 89892

ROME 00001060 001.2 OF 002


- - - - -
Summary
- - - - -


1. (U) Summary. Post received responses to the demarche in Reftel B
from officials at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,
ENAC (Italy's civil aviation administration),and the Ministry of
the Environment, and Land and Sea Safeguards. All officials agreed
that Italy had no power to remove a carrier from the EU Emissions
Trading Scheme (ETS) list and said this must be addressed by the
European Commission. All officials agreed that U.S. government
flights should be exempted from the EU ETS, per prevailing
international aviation custom and per Annex 1 of the EU's own
directive, but it remains unclear as to how that exemption will be
established. It is possible that the GOI will require a declaration
and documentation from the Embassy to demonstrate the U.S. Navy's
exemption from the EU ETS. Post requests Department guidance on
this (para 6). End Summary.

- - - - - - - - -
Response Details
- - - - - - - - -


2. (U) Post received a response to the demarche from Mara Angeloni,
a knowledgeable Italian Environment Ministry expert who participates
in almost all United Nations climate negotiations, and who also
follows climate issues at the EU level. Angeloni said the list was
compiled at the EU level from information available to Eurocontrol
and that no member states could intervene in this matter. She
hypothesized that the U.S. Navy was included in the list because
Navy flights in the past had flight plan codes indicating a civilian
component. (Annex 1 to the EU directive states that Military
flights using civil registered aircraft and civil flights performed
by military aircraft are not exempted from the EU ETS.)


3. (U) Angeloni said a solution was clearly necessary and may be
possible at the national level. She said that the Environment
Ministry is already in discussions with the EU to establish a
solution that would be acceptable to all member countries. Angeloni
said a possible solution could be allowing exempt government
operators, such as the Navy, to provide a declaration and
documentation demonstrating exemption to the national government
administering flights by that operator.


4. (U) Paolo SAPPINO, in the office of Airports and Air Navigation
at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and Girolamo
Di Gregorio, of ENAC, also discussed the issue with Post. They
insisted that implementation of the EU ETS in Italy is being managed
by the Environment Ministry and that neither the Transport Ministry
nor ENAC is involved at this time. However, they also said that
they agree with everything said by Ms. Angeloni.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Comment and Request for Guidance
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


5. (SBU) All Italian officials with whom Post spoke agree in
principle with the USG position, but the GOI does not appear willing
to ask the EU to alter the list. It seems unlikely that there will
be any real attempt to force USG-operated flights to be governed by
the EU ETS, but the suggestion that these flights must demonstrate
exemption by presenting additional documentation, other than that
normally provided in the course of operation, threatens to add
another level of bureaucracy to USG flight operations.


6. (SBU) Additionally, if it is determined that documentation and a
declaration must be provided to the administering member state, it
is unclear what channels would be used to provide this. Per ref B,
Post requested that all future GOI communications with regard to
these operators be conducted through the Embassy. Do Washington
agencies have any views on: 1) the acceptability of the Embassy's
submitting such a declaration/documentation to the GOI and 2)
whether it should be transmitted through the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs via diplomatic note, or directly and more informally to the
Environment Ministry? Post requests Department guidance on this,
for use in further discussion of this issue with GOI officials.


ROME 00001060 002.2 OF 002


THORNE