Information about the new Directive to include aviation under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
ETSWAP Emissaire, the EU ETS aviation web portal - system status
- ETSWAP Emissaire is currently available.
Please look at our ETSWAP Emissaire page for more information.
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:
We have produced a newsletter to provide a brief update on current isues of interest to aircraft operators included in the EU ETS.
Tuesday 6 December 2011
DECC publishes the 2010 emissions figures for EU ETS aviation operators regulated by the UK
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has published the 2010 emission figures for EU ETS aviation operators regulated by the UK. This data has been published alongside the allocation levels as were published on 14 October 2011. The data also includes those operators that submitted emission reports but not activity data (tonne-kilometre data).
Details can be found on the DECC website.
Eurocontrol have now launched the 2011 version of their Small Emitters Tool which should be used by eligible aircraft operators for flights operated in 2011.
The tool and instructions on how to use it are available from Eurocontrol's website:
EU ETS Registry newsletter
We have produced an EU EUTS Registry newsletter to provide operators with a brief update on the New Union Registry:
We have produced a newsletter to provide a brief update on current issues of interest to aircraft operators included in the EU ETS:
14 October 2011
The level of free allocaion allowances for aviation operators regulated in the UK is published on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website.
26 September 2011
The European Commission announces the benchmark values which will be used to calculate the free allocation of allowances for aviation operators up to 2020.
Details can be found on the European Commission website:
The Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) will use these benchmark values to calculate the levels of free allocation its regulated EU ETS aviation operators will receive in 2012 and for the period of 2013-2020.
23 June 2011
Response to the consultation on the proposed list of conditions in aviation emissions plans under the EU emissions trading system
The UK Regulators, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the chief inspector (Northern Ireland), have published a joint response to the consultation on the proposed list of conditions to be included in Aviation Operators’ Emissions Plans under Regulation 23 of The Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2010 ('the Regulations').
10 June 2011
Croatia are given the go ahead to become the 28th member of the EU
Croatia are given the go ahead to become the 28 member of the EU. This will mean that aircraft operators who perform domestic flights within Croatia and/or flights between Croatia and non-European Economic Area countries will be requested to monitor and report these additional flights from the date of accession of Croatia to the EU (expected to be 1 July 2013). Aircraft operators performing these flights have the opportunity to monitor the tonne-kilometre data for these flights in 2012 and apply for an allocation of additional free allowances by 31 March 2013. Further details can be found on the European Commission’s website.
6 April 2011
Our charges explained
We have produced guidance to explain why we charge for EU ETS Aviation, what we charge for, and how charges can be paid:
28 March 2011
Amendment to the regulations
The Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2011 were laid before Parliament on 15 March 2011 and came into force on 25 March 2011. The 2011 (Amendment) Regulations provide the opportunity for non-UK designated aircraft operators to apply to the Secretary of State (SoS) to be considered as a UK aircraft operator. More information can be found on the government's legislation website:
13 December 2010
Consultation on proposed list of conditions for inclusion in aviation emissions plans
Consultation opens: 13 December 2010
Consultation closes: 7 February 2011
The UK Regulators, the Environment Agency, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the chief inspector (Northern Ireland), have published a joint consultation on a proposed list of conditions to be included in Aviation Operators’ Emissions Plans under Regulation 23 of The Aviation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2010 (“the Regulations”).
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views of interested parties on the proposed conditions.
The consultation document below includes the list of conditions, a set of definitions and further explanation of the intended purpose of each condition. The document also provides details of how to respond to the consultation.
Consultation document:
Address for responses:
Please email your responses to us by 7 February 2011:
20 October 2010
Aviation verification requirements (including small emitters)
For EU ETS aviation, the Monitoring and Reporting Decision states that, as part of a verification, a site visit may be appropriate.
Please note that the verification guidance on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) website was written with regard to EU ETS stationary installations and does not directly apply to EU ETS aviation. However, the European Commission is preparing EU ETS verification guidance that is specific to the aviation sector and we expect that this document will include guidance on site visit requirements.
9 August 2010
Laying of second stage Aviation EU ETS Regulations
The second stage Aviation EU ETS Regulations were laid before Parliament on 6 August 2010. The regulations will come into force on 31 August 2010.
You can view a copy of the 2010 Regulations here:
29 July 2010
Commission approves tool for small emitters
The Commission has approved the use of a tool developed by Eurocontrol for estimating fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions for reporting purposes.
Aircraft operators who have received an approved emission plan permitting the use of the simplified reporting procedures, for example small emitters, should use the tool to estimate fuel consumption for each individual flight and apply the appropriate fuel emissions factor within the approved plan to determine their reportable carbon dioxide emissions.
You can view a copy of the Commission regulation approving the use of the tool here:
The tool and instructions on how to use it are available from Eurocontrol's website:
Please direct any enquiries relating to the tool to:
If you wish to make us aware of your enquiry please copy correspondence to etaviationhelp@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Please do not direct any of these enquiries to the Environment Agency directly, as we are unlikely to be able to help.
26 April 2010
Verification of emissions and benchmark reports
The UK regulations require aviation operators to submit reports, which are “verified by an independent verifier in accordance with Monitoring and Reporting Decision and Annex V to the EU ETS Directive”.
The verifier will provide you with an opinion on your report, which will either be 'verified', 'verified with comments' or 'not verified'. The opinion forms part of the report, which you are required to send to us before 31 March 2011.
Companies offering verification services must be accredited. In the UK, accreditation is assessed by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS):
Operator reports which have not been verified by a UKAS confirmed accredited verifier will not be acceptable and will be deemed noncompliant. It is expected that many of the verifiers currently used by operators of stationary installations, for example power stations, will extend the scope of their accreditation to include aviation.
We aim to publish a list of accredited verifiers on this website as soon as we are able to. The UKAS list of currently accredited verifiers can be found at the link below. It includes contact details and some information about expansion of the EU ETS to include aviation.
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
