India protests EU airline emissions tax

New Delhi: The European Union should immediately withdraw the carbon tax it began imposing on airlines beginning with the new year, India's environment minister said.
Indian Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan warned EU Commissioner for Climate and Energy Connie Hedegaard in a letter the carbon emissions tax demanded from international airlines using European airspace is illegal and will hurt future climate-change negotiations, the Indian business news daily Mint reported Monday.
A copy of the letter, sent by Natarajan Dec. 28, was obtained by the newspaper.
In it, the Indian minister said the action taken under the EU's Emission Trading Scheme isn't valid.
"I strongly urge the EU to reconsider and reverse the decision to apply the scheme to non-EU airlines," he wrote, adding, "India strongly feels that a unilateral measure as the one proposed to be taken by EU, stands not only in violation of the principles and provisions of the (international) convention but will also not augur well for the success of future climate change negotiations."
11/01/12 UPI

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Categories: Foreign Jan 2012, Indian Aviation- In General Jan 2012