European Commission's Inception Impact Assessment

EU Commission has the published inception impact assessment on topic "Revision of the EU Emission Trading System Directive 2003/87/EC concerning aviation"

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The overall objective of this initiative is to secure the aviation sector’s adequate contribution to the Union's climate objectives, while taking account of any potential impacts, including on mobility in Europe. 

It is recalled from the outset that under the EU ETS Directive (Article 28a) the current situation is that only requirements for flights within the EU/EFTA apply. However, in case no amendment to the EU ETS Directive is adopted by the European Parliament and Council by December 2023, thereafter the EU ETS for aviation would automatically revert back to its initial scope, namely covering all flights departing from airports in the EU Member States and all EFTA States (hereafter “EU/EFTA”) and arriving to other airports in EU/EFTA or to third countries and, if not exempted through delegated legislation, incoming flights to airports in the EU/EFTA from third countries. As regards whether and how to implement CORSIA by the EU and its Member States, at least the following policy options are to be assessed:

1) EU ETS full legal scope: In case no amendment is adopted by the European Parliament and Council by December 2023, the EU ETS for aviation would cover flights departing from airports in the EU/EFTA and arriving to other airports in EU/EFTA or to third countries and, if not exempted through delegated legislation, incoming flights to airports in the EU/EFTA from third countries (exercising empowerment in Article 25a of the EU ETS Directive).

2) Intra-EU/EFTA ETS only: Maintaining the status quo, the EU ETS would be applied exclusively and confined to the scope of the system as currently applied: allowance surrendering obligations for aircraft operators would be based solely on emissions from flights between aerodromes located in the EU/EFTA, with the exception of flights between EU outermost regions and other regions of the EU/EFTA (including other outermost regions), while including flights within any given outermost region.9 NB: in this option, CORSIA is neither applied to ETS-exempted routes.

3) CORSIA only: Only CORSIA would be applied to international flights, non-domestic intra-EU/EFTA flights, flights to and from the EU/EFTA States (including their outermost regions) and third countries.

4) ETS-CORSIA “clean cut”: The EU ETS would continue to apply to the current intra-EU/EFTA scope, as in option 2 above, and CORSIA would be introduced for extra-EU/EFTA flights, i.e. flights to and from EU/EFTA States (including their outermost regions) and third countries. In other words, the EU ETS would be applied as at present and CORSIA would be applied to all other flights (to the extent that CORSIA is applicable to them). 

5) ETS-CORSIA “mix”: Regarding non-domestic intra-EU/EFTA flights, the EU ETS would apply up to each operator’s 2020 emissions. Above the 2020 emissions, CORSIA would apply. Regarding flights between EU/EFTA States (including their outermost regions) and third countries, CORSIA would apply on emissions above 2020 levels. This option would cover domestic flights.

6) ETS-CORSIA “mix” according to licence of aircraft operators: The EU ETS would apply to nondomestic, intra-EU/EFTA flights, operated by operators with licences issued by Member States. For operators with licences issued by third countries, only CORSIA would apply on those non-domestic intraEU/EFTA flights and flights between EU/EFTA States (including their outermost regions) and third countries. This option would not cover domestic flights.

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EU Commission

 
> Here is the link to the online consultation
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