Upcoming Changes in EU ETS Reduced Scope from 2024: A Focus on Outermost Regions

06/09/2023

Upcoming Changes in EU ETS Reduced Scope from 2024: A Focus on Outermost Regions

The EU has announced significant changes to the EU ETS through Directive (EU) 2023/958 of the European Parliament and of the Council, published on May 10, 2023. These changes mark a new chapter in the system's evolution, with a particular focus on the revised reduced scope pertaining to the outermost regions (OMR) of the EEA Member Countries.

These changes will be applicable for the monitoring period starting from January 1st, 2024.
The following regions are the outermost regions of the EEA Member Countries:

France: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, Reunion, Saint Martin
Spain: Canary Islands
Portugal: Azores, Madeira

The subsequent aspects are applicable to the revised EU ETS reduced scope related to outermost regions (OMR):

Exempted Flights:

Flights between an aerodrome in an OMR and an aerodrome in the same Member State.

Examples:
> French Guiana (France) - France,
> Canary Islands (Spain) - Spain.

Flights between aerodromes within the same OMR.

Example:
> Flights within French Guiana (France).

Flights between different OMRs of the same Member State.

Examples:
> Guadeloupe (France) - Mayotte (France),
> Azores (Portugal) - Madeira (Portugal).

Not Exempted Flights:

Flights from the OMR of one Member State to another different Member State.

Examples:
> Canary Islands (Spain) - France,
> Madeira (Portugal) - Italy.

Flights from the OMR of one Member State to the OMR of another Member State.

Examples:
> Canary Islands (Spain) - Azores (Portugal),
> Reunion (France) - Madeira (Portugal)

Conclusion

The upcoming changes to the EU ETS reduced scope, are mainly focusing on outermost regions, marking a significant step towards aligning climate action with the unique realities of these regions. This temporary derogation related to outermost regions which will be effective until 31 December 2030 for emissions from flights between aerodromes in outermost regions reflects the Union's dedication to fostering accessibility and responsible growth in these areas

Sources

Publications Office (europa.eu)
EUR-Lex - L:2023:130:TOC - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu)
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