The European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) tax was widely condemned during the FAA’s Aviation Forecast Conference in Washington in March, with the US Department of Transportation chief labeling it as bad law.

The approach to ETS implementation “was totally wrong,” US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in his opening remarks at the conference.

“The law is bad, and it doesn’t help our relationships with the EU. What I say is, sit at a table, talk to one another, reach a compromise,” LaHood said.

Admitting he was "very revved up" by the issue, LaHood said he would be working closely with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to address it this year. “This is a very, very bad law that they have passed … to impose this kind of tax on airlines is wrong,” he said. “There are some things that we can do … some enforcement measures.”

LaHood’s condemnation was endorsed by many at the conference, including keynote speaker IATA DG Tony Tyler, and panel speakers FedEx president and CEO Dave Bronczek and Airlines for America’s (A4A) chief economist John Heimlich.

Tyler said Europe’s go-it-alone approach on the controversial airline carbon tax was driving discord where there needed to be harmony.


More: http://atwonline.com/eco-aviation/ar...ms-eu-ets-0312