The United States is “deeply concerned“ by the European Commission's plans to impose a tax on the carbon emissions of some international flights, a US Department of Transportation spokesman told Reuters on Monday.
“The United States remains deeply concerned about any expansion of the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS),“ the spokesman said.
The European Commission presented proposals on Friday to introduce a cost for emissions from international flights that depart from Europe - measured relative to a certain location in central Europe - and land in countries up to 5,000 kilometers away.
This threshold would exclude direct flights between Europe and the United States. According to some EU officials, the restriction was introduced precisely to avoid further tension with the administration of US President Donald Trump, but authorities in Washington continue to express concerns about the proposal.
“We are analyzing the European Commission's proposal and will take appropriate action, if necessary, to protect American consumers and companies“, added a spokesman for the US Department of Transportation.
Washington already blocked a previous attempt by the European Union in 2012 to expand the scope of its Emissions Trading Scheme to include international flights, Reuters recalls.