Airline emissions capping

The report Deal Clinched On Capping Airline Emissions (June 28) stated that "Malta, representing the national airline's view, was not very enthusiastic about this Commission initiative as it deems that airline companies operating from the periphery of the EU such as Air Malta will be heavily penalised".

It must be emphasised that during discussions within the Council of the European Union, Maltese delegates represent a national position and not that of any particular entity or stakeholder, government or otherwise.

In this case it is therefore incorrect to state that Malta was representing the national airline's view, even though Air Malta's views were naturally taken into consideration when formulating Malta's position.

The article also inaccurately stated that Malta was not very enthusiastic about this Commission initiative as it deems that airline companies operating from the periphery of the EU such as Air Malta will be heavily penalised.

It should be pointed out that the draft directive imposes a cap on emissions based on 2004-2006 levels and therefore Malta's peripherality, vis-à-vis Air Malta, is already factored in.

Furthermore, the draft directive aims at penalising the inefficiency of air operators and, seeing that Air Malta has a very young fleet and therefore a comparatively efficient one, the effect of this draft directive on Air Malta is expected to be limited when compared to that of some of its European competitors.

Nevertheless, it should be noted that when Malta voted in favour of this draft directive in the Committee of Permanent Representatives, it gave notice that, at Council, it would be making a declaration to record and emphasise the importance of reviewing the impact of the implementation of the directive on islands such as Malta which have a strong structural dependency on air travel.

Malta made a similar declaration in December 2007 when it agreed to the Council's common position before the first reading of this proposal.