EU governments backed plans on Friday to include the European aviation sector in its emissions trading market through pollution quotas that carriers warn could endanger the industry.
At a meeting in Luxembourg, EU transport ministers gave their approval to a European Commission proposal for airlines to meet quotas either by reducing their emissions or buying carbon dioxide credits from other industries.
"Every mode of transport, including the air mode, has to make its contribution to tackling climate change," said German Transport Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee, who chaired the meeting.
The aviation sector has so far escaped inclusion in the European Union's innovative emissions trading scheme, which is supposed to help the EU cut carbon dioxide emissions under the Kyoto Protocol.
Under the Commission's proposal, which still has to be adopted by the European Parliament, airlines would be subject to emissions quotas from 2011 on intra-European flights and from 2012 for flights originating outside the bloc.
European airlines are deeply worried about the measures and a group of six associations representing them published a study on Thursday warning of dire consequences if they are implemented.
The associations warned that airlines would have to spend over 45 billion euros (60 billion dollars) between 2011 and 2022 buying up credits from more fuel-efficient industries to meet their quotas, "weakening the financial stability of a number of operators".
Because the measures would cover both EU and foreign carriers, they are provoking deep anxiety abroad and Washington has even raised the prospect of launching legal action if Europe goes ahead with the plans.
Anticipating a "heated debate," Tiefensee said that the EU would try to win other countries over to including aviation in emissions trading at a September meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal.
