Activities of Jan-Christoph OETJEN related to 2023/2060(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on electric aviation – a solution for short and mid-range flights
Amendments (37)
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 4 a (new)
Citation 4 a (new)
– having regard to Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (Text with EEA relevance), and in particular the establishment of the Innovation Fund,
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
Citation 9 a (new)
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on ‘A Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe’ (COM(2022) 652),
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 10 a (new)
Citation 10 a (new)
– having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy – putting European transport on track to the future’ (COM(2020) 789),
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 12
Citation 12
– having regard to its resolution of 10 May 2012 on the future of regional airports and air services in the EU5 and its resolution of 16 February 2017 on an Aviation Strategy for Europe5a, _________________ 5 OJ C 261 E, 10.9.2013, p. 1. 5a OJ C 252, 18.7.2018, p. 284–293.
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
Recital B a (new)
Ba. whereas more than 50% of all CO2 emissions in aviation stem from long-haul flights (flights of more than 3.000 km) and electrification or hybrid solutions, such as batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen, methane, ammonia or solar energy, are not yet an option for the next decades;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B b (new)
Recital B b (new)
Bb. whereas the aviation industries (airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers) committed to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas the case for truly clean aviation requires deeper collaborations across research, manufacturers, airlines, governments and other stakeholders; whereas a subset of the aviation industry is already active in developing advanced concepts of aircraft8 , such as electrical vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft; _________________ 8 ATR, Avinor, Deutsche Aircraft (in cooperation with Private Wings), Heart Aerospace (in cooperation with Finnair and Icelandair), Pipistrel, SAS (in cooperation with Airbus), Tecnam, etc.
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas the carbon footprint calculation of electric aviation needs to be based on its entire lifecycle, including the source of energy production and battery manufacturing;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas EASA proposed rules for safe operation of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, which includes air taxis, and a comprehensive set of operational requirements for piloted electric air taxis, spanning across the domains of operations, flight crew licensing, and rules on the air and air traffic management;
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas the EU is witnessing rapid development in battery technology in terms of both production volumes and development expenditure; whereas, nevertheless, the European Court of Auditors found major shortcomings in European industrial policy on batteries1a, which endangers the goals of climate neutrality and creating a competitive battery industry in the EU; _________________ 1a https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublicatio ns/SR-2023-15/SR-2023-15_EN.pdf
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas investments by the Member States in the electricity supply of stationary aircraft will be needed in the upcoming years in order to comply with the targets set out in Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, which could form a stepping stone towards the future deployment of charging infrastructure for electric aircraft;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
Recital F b (new)
Fb. whereas green & digital skills in technical education and expertise such as aviation technology & engineering, science, and mathematics, is vital for the sustainable development of aviation, and creates attractive jobs for young people;
Amendment 30 #
H. whereas the success of highly complex research and development projects in the field of clean aviation directly depends on financial and political support, including that of the EU institutions and the Member States; whereas the public incentive to those projects is a key to attract private investment;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas electric and hybrid aviation could bolster urban and regional air mobility and connectivity, offering a whole range of innovative public transport solutions;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas the aviation sector has had a sharp reminder of its vulnerability to pandemics, geopolitics and economic shocks; whereas, however, the aviation sector proved its key role in keeping the supply chain uninterrupted, especially for essential goods;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K a (new)
Recital K a (new)
Ka. whereas safety shall remain the number one priority of aviation;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reiterates the Commission’s vision that eVTOLs, as expressed through the Commission's Drone Strategy 2.0, are set to become a staple of passenger transport by 2030, integrating into existing transportation systems and contributing to the decarbonisation of the European Union, while minimising adverse environmental impacts1a; _________________ 1a See "Accessibility study for electric aviation. Part of the project Electric Aviation and the Effect on Nordic Regions", Tove Lundberg, 2022 (https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3b35 687163744e69a6966b5b9fad976e).
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that the electrification of regional aviation could make previously abandoned routes economically viable, boosting regional development and attracting new regional investment; underlines that hybridation presents credible prospects given the constraints of regional aviation in terms of autonomy and number of passengers;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Considers that the electrification of regional aviation could make previously abandoned routes economically viable improving connectivity, boosting regional development and attracting new regional investment;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Strongly believes that electric and hybrid aircraft could offer new possibilities for urban mobility; welcomes the work undertaken by EASA on vertiports and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft intended to be used as air taxis, as well as its work on the design of the necessary ground infrastructure for safe urban air mobility operations12 ; welcomes the activities undertaken so far by EASA to adapt the aviation regulatory framework to facilitate the entry into the market of the aircraft that use electric or hydrogen propulsion and stresses the key role of EASA in certification of these types of aircraft that could speed up their development; _________________ 12 EASA, Vertiports. Prototype Technical Specifications for the Design of VFR Vertiports for Operation of with Manned VTOL-Capable Aircraft Certified in the Enhanced Category (PTS-VPT-DSN), March 2022.
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Insists that developing electric aviation for commercial use requires effective financial and regulatory support at both national and EU level; stresses the very positive results achieved with the help of public procurement and considers it to be an effective tool for the electrification of the industry without disrupting the market;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
Paragraph 12 a (new)
12a. Stresses that the energy infrastructure planning and readiness will also determine the take up of electric- and hydrogen-based aviation; recalls in this respect that, under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the Commission shall evaluate at the end of 2026 and every 5 years the current state and future development of the market for hydrogen and electric propulsion aviation; moreover, calls the Commission, ahead of its revision of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, to assess the need to further strengthen the current provisions for the deployment of infrastructure for hydrogen and electric aircraft;
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Stresses that, after shifting to alternative propulsion systems, existing large airports could consume 5-10 times more electricity by 2050 than they do today13 ; stresses that, to meet the expected energy demand, the first elements of on- airport infrastructure must be in place by 2025; therefore, calls on the Commission and the Member States to assess the current state and future development of the electric and hydrogen market for aviation including a feasibility study on the deployment of the relevant infrastructure to power aircraft, followed by a deployment plan for alternative fuels infrastructure in airports, in particular for electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling points, and calls for the necessary investment to be secured; _________________ 13 Target True Zero: Delivering the Infrastructure for Battery and Hydrogen- Powered Flight, World Economic Forum, April 2023, pp. 10-15.
Amendment 84 #
14a. Points out that while electric and hybrid-electric aircraft hold immense promise for a more sustainable aviation future, their current generation of batteries presents significant challenges, primarily related to weight and energy density; notes that these limitations impact the range, payload capacity, and overall efficiency of electric aircraft;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Recalls that electric aircraft operations involve stringent requirements for batteries to be light, compact, quickly rechargeable and provide the high power required for the take-off and climb segments; underlines that such high performance batteries require critical raw materials, often not available in Europe;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Notes that uncertainties regarding battery life expectancy and residual values are significant challenges faced by the electric aviation industry; points out that these uncertainties have a direct impact on insurance premiums, making investments in electric aircraft projects less attractive and potentially riskier;
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
Paragraph 15 a (new)
15a. Recalls that the altitude conditions specific to air transport impose particular technical constraints on batteries, compared to other modes of transport;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
Paragraph 15 b (new)
15b. Highlights the potential of hydrogen aviation based on fuel cells, which is an alternative form of electric aviation, particularly in terms of autonomy;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Stresses that continued improvements in battery and fuel cell technology, paired with more energy- efficient aircraft designs, can enable better environmental performance; reiterates that some of the biggest technological challenges faced by the industry currently include electric distribution and thermal systems, airframe integration and improving aerodynamics;
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
Paragraph 17 a (new)
17a. Recognizes the paramount importance of transition pathways for enabling the industry to effectively translate climate aspirations into tangible climate actions, thereby preserving and creating value for our society, our planet, and businesses alike; expresses concern regarding the divergent transition pathways of the Aerospace and Defence Ecosystem and the Energy Ecosystem, particularly in light of the shared imperative to establish stable grids and ensure the affordability of clean electricity, including for aircraft electrification; urges the Commission to take proactive steps in formulating a common strategy to address this critical need;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
Paragraph 18 a (new)
18a. Regrets that despite the substantial effort and commitment demanded from the aviation sector in its pursuit of decarbonisation, there is no specific EU aviation fund designated explicitly to support aviation; calls on the Commissions to launch specific calls to finance projects supporting electrification and actions to reduce the overall impacts of aviation;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
Paragraph 18 b (new)
18b. Reminds of Directive (EU) 2023/959, which amended Directive 2003/87/EC and broadened the range of eligible projects for funding under the Innovation Fund to encompass a broader array of zero-carbon products, processes, and technologies;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
Paragraph 18 c (new)
18c. Welcomes the Commission’s intention to set up coordinated services of calls under the existing EU instruments and European Investment Bank (EIB) loans to support the new flagship project on drones technologies; urges the EIB to institute targeted funding instruments designed to bolster the emerging European electric aviation sector, acknowledging its capital-intensive nature and unique requirements; acknowledges that the take up of eVTOLs will require investments in ground infrastructure, including vertiports and charging facilities;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 d (new)
Paragraph 18 d (new)
18d. Invites the Member States to explore market incentives and benefits for electric aircraft manufacturers, operators, and SMEs concerned in order to promote the development and adoption of this eco- friendly technology and believes that these incentives and benefits for electric aviation components, electricity, and emissions credits can drive the market growth;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
Paragraph 19 a (new)
19a. Calls on the Commission to ensure consistency between the development of electric transport and mobility, the required infrastructure, and EU policy aiming to increase European battery production capacity, including the necessary supply of the needed raw and advanced materials for battery production; therefore, calls on the Commission to revise the Strategic Action Plan on Batteries which links the aforementioned aspects and specifically includes the introduction of quantified and time-bound targets for EU battery production;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Calls on the Commission to come up with a European strategy for a coordinated approach to the development, certification and deployment of the new generation of aircraft, including eVTOL aircraft, in order to raise awareness among European citizens of its benefits and to boost private and public investment, while maintaining the technological base and leadership in Europe;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
Paragraph 20 a (new)
20a. Believes that electric aviation holds the promise of a more sustainable future for air travel, and a focused information campaign is vital in raising public awareness about its potential benefits and impact;