8 Amendments of Nils TORVALDS related to 2021/0205(COD)
Amendment 67 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 2 a (new)
Recital 2 a (new)
(2a) The largest increases in greenhouse gas emissions are expected in the aviation sector, with air traffic levels equivalent to the pre-COVID period, as they are usually not prioritised in national policies. This is why a harmonised legal framework should be put in place at European level to promote the decarbonisation of the airline industry while preserving its competitiveness.
Amendment 87 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 6 a (new)
Recital 6 a (new)
(6a) To meet its commitment of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the aviation sector faces a major challenge that requires a comprehensive approach and carbon footprint reductions at all levels, coming from the deployment at a large scale of sustainable fuels to more frugal aircraft in the future, but also a reduction in the environmental footprint on the ground as runway equipment accounts for 4% of an airport's CO2 emissions.
Amendment 101 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 8 a (new)
Recital 8 a (new)
(8a) The recent sectoral developments characterised by partnerships set up between fuel producers and European airlines to supply their flights with a significant proportion of sustainable aviation fuel should be supported, as well as the commitments made by some airlines companies to start operating 10% of their flights with sustainable aviation fuel by 2030.
Amendment 107 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) At global level, sustainable aviation fuels are regulated at ICAO. In particular, ICAO establishes detailed requirements on the sustainability, traceability and accounting of sustainable aviation fuels for use on flights covered by the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). While incentives are set in CORSIA and sustainable aviation fuels are considered an integral pillar of the work on the feasibility of a Long-Term Aspiration Goal for international aviation, there is currently no mandatory scheme on the use of sustainable aviation fuels for international flights. It is therefore important that the Union sustains the efforts made at ICAO level and strives for an ambitious global system that promotes the use of sustainable aviation fuels and provides for an international level playing field. Comprehensive multilateral or bilateral air transport agreements between the EU or its Member States, and third countries generally include provisions on environmental protection. However, for the time being, such provisions do not impose on contracting parties any binding requirements on the use of sustainable aviation fuels. The Union should therefore encourage neighbouring countries to adopt similar mandates for sustainable aviation fuels in the framework of bilateral air agreements, in order to provide for a level playing field for international long-haul flights.
Amendment 133 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 17
Recital 17
(17) For sustainability reasons, feed and food crop-based fuels should not be eligible. In particular, indirect land-use change occurs when the cultivation of crops for biofuels displaces traditional production of crops for food and feed purposes. Such additional demand increases the pressure on land and can lead to the extension of agricultural land into areas with high-carbon stock, such as forests, wetlands and peatland, causing additional greenhouse gas emissions and loss of biodiversity concerns. Research has shown that the scale of the effect of indirect land-use change (ILUC) depends on a variety of factors, including the type of feedstock used for fuel production, the level of additional demand for feedstock triggered by the use of biofuels and the extent to which land with high-carbon stock is protected worldwide. The highest risks of indirect land-use change have been identified for unsustainable biofuels, fuels produced from feedstock for which a significant expansion of the production area into land with high- carbon stock is observed. Accordingly, feed and food crop-based fuels should not be promoted. This approach is in line Union policy and in particular with Directive (EU) 2018/2001 which limits and sets a cap on the use of such biofuels in road and rail transport, considering their lower environmental benefits, lower performance in terms of greenhouse reduction potential and broader sustainability concerns. In addition to the greenhouse gas emissions linked to indirect land-use change – which is capable of negating some or all greenhouse gas emissions savings of individual biofuels – indirect land-use change can poses a risks also to biodiversity. This risk is particularly serious in connection with a potentially large expansion of production determined by a significant increase in demand. The aviation sector has currently insignificant levels of demand for food and feed crops- based biofuels, since over 99% of currently used aviation fuels are of fossil origin. It is therefore appropriate to avoid the creation of a potentially large demand of food and feed crops-based biofuels by promoting their use under this Regulation. The non- eligibility of crop-based biofuels under this Regulation also minimises any risk to slow down the decarbonisation of road transport, which could otherwise result from a shift of crop-based biofuels from the road to the aviation sector. It is essential to minimise the risks with such a shift, as road transport currently remains by far the most polluting transport sector.
Amendment 142 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 20
Recital 20
(20) It is essential to ensure that the minimum shares of sustainable aviation fuels can be successfully supplied to the aviation market without supply shortages. For this purpose, sufficient lead-time should be planned to allow the renewable fuels industry to develop production capacity accordingly. The supply of sustainable aviation fuels should become mandatory starting in 2025. Similarly, in order to provide legal certainty and predictability to the market and drive investments durably towards sustainable aviation fuels production capacity, the terms of this Regulation should be stable over a long period of time. However, the feasibility of targets should be reassessed when appropriate depending on feedstock availabilities and production volumes.
Amendment 146 #
Proposal for a regulation
Recital 21
Recital 21
(21) With the introduction and ramp-up of sustainable aviation fuels at Union airports, practices of fuel tankering may be exacerbated as a consequence of aviation fuel costs increases. Tankering practices are unstainable and should be avoided as they undermine the Union’s efforts to reduce environmental impacts from transport. Those would be contrary to the aviation decarbonisation objectives as increased aircraft weight would increase fuel consumption and related emissions on a given flight. Tankering practices also put at risk the level playing field in the Union between aircraft operators, and also between airports. This Regulation should therefore require aircraft operators to refuel prior to departure from a given Union airport. Nevertheless, a derogation to the restriction of fuel tankering should be foreseen in case of practical difficulties encountered by airlines (airspace or airport closure, weather conditions, supply shortages) at destination airports that would prevent re-fuelling. The amount of fuel uplifted prior to departures from a given Union airport should be commensurate with the amount of fuel necessary to operate the flights departing from that airport, taking into account the necessary compliance with fuel safety rules. The requirement ensures that equal conditions for operations in the Union applying equally to Union and foreign operators, while ensuring high level of environmental protection. As the Regulation does not define a maximum share of sustainable aviation fuels in all aviation fuels, airlines and fuel suppliers may pursue more ambitious environmental policies with higher sustainable aviation fuels uptake and supply in their overall network of operations, while avoiding fuel tankering.
Amendment 241 #
Proposal for a regulation
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 1 a (new)