Information about the new Directive to include aviation under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
How to contact us
In order to obtain a rapid response to any enquiry, please email our Emissions Trading System (ETS) Aviation technical team, at the technical helpdesk, providing as much detail as possible:
Latest news
Find out the latest information about the Aviation EU ETS, including key dates and important documents:
8 February 2010
Revised Commission List of Operators
The Commission published a revised list of aircraft operators to be administered by Member States in the Official Journal of the European Union on the 29 January 2010.
This replaces the version of the list published on 22 August 2009.
You can view a copy of the revised list here:
All aircraft operators included in the Aviation EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and allocated to the UK for regulation will be able to access our web-based portal. This will enable you to prepare your applications, once you receive your registration details from the Environment Agency.
If you haven’t already done so, you should send an email to us confirming the aircraft operator’s name (as it appears on the Commission’s list of operators), your own name, telephone number and email address. Please use the link below:
We cannot grant access to the web-based portal without a valid email address. Once you have received your invitation, the web-based portal can be accessed here:
Expansion of EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to include Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein
On the 1 January 2010 the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for aviation was expanded to include flights to or from Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or internal flights in these countries.
If you perform flights into or out of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, or internal flights within these countries, you will need to take action as outlined in the following letter:
22 December 2009
Consultation on second stage transposition of EU Directive (2008/101/EC) to include Aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)
The Department for Transport (DfT) and Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) launched a public consultation on 11 December. This was to seek views on the draft second set of implementing Regulations to transpose EU Directive 2008/101/EC to include aviation in to the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).
The second stage Regulations that are the subject of the consultation will complete the UK transposition of the Directive.
The consultation will run from 11 December 2009 until 5 March 2010 and can be accessed at the following page on the DECC website:
26 October 2009
Deadline for submitting your emissions plan
The Department for Transport has produced an open letter outlining the requirements for all aircraft operators to submit their emissions plan by 12 November 2009, in accordance with the UK Regulations:
The Environment Agency will be sending out copies of the open letter shortly, together with an update, for all operators for whom we have contact details:
Additional guidance on the meaning of 'UK operator', 'aircraft operator', and 'aviation activity', in accordance with the UK regulations, has been produced to assist operators compiling their emissions/benchmarking plans:
17 September 2009
Information on the inclusion of aviation under the EU ETS and how to submit your emissions plan
The Regulations, which were laid before Parliament on 27 August 2009, are now in force. All aircraft operators included in the Aviation European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and allocated to the UK for regulation, are required to apply to their UK regulator for an emissions plan by no later than 12 November 2009. If a person becomes an aircraft operator after the Regulations come into force they must apply to their regulator for an emissions plan within eight weeks of becoming an aircraft operator.
The Regulations that are now in force can be accessed from the Office for Public Sector Information (OPSI) website:
IMPORTANT: Operators will be able to submit their plans via the portal from 17 September 2009. We encourage them to do so as soon as possible after this date and no later than 12 November 2009 (the deadline given in the regulations). Regulators are required to approve or refuse to issue a plan within four months of the date of receiving an application.
In addition to the mandatory requirement to apply for an emissions plan, an aircraft operator allocated to the UK for regulation may apply to their UK Regulator for a benchmarking plan, which is necessary to apply for a free allocation of allowances.
An update was recently sent to all operators who have supplied contact details. A copy of this can be found here:
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has made available a summary of responses to its consultation on the first stage transposition and its response to the consultation. More information can be found in the update from DECC, which you can view here:
Information about the new Directive
