EU complaints lodged over Irish aviation subsidies

national | miscellaneous | press release Friday March 18, 2005 12:14 by climate watch

The environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment [FIE] have lodged formal complaints with the European Commission’s Regional Directorate and the Environmental Directorate objecting to the use of Public Service Obligations to subsidise short distance flights from Dublin.

The group, which has also written to the Minister for Transport objecting to the recent announcement of tenders for the proposed PSO to fund these subsidies, says its complaint arises because of the significant negative environmental consequences of short-haul aviation.

The group suggest that emissions are at least 6 times higher per kilometre for aviation as for rail.

FIE claims that existing subsidies already range from €53 each way for Dublin-Galway to €290 per passenger each way for Knock-Dublin.

Four of the routes for which tenders are being sought compete directly with a direct rail service to Dublin. The group claims average rail passenger subsidies are under €5 per passenger.

FIE gives four grounds for its complaint:

United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention commits Ireland under Article 4 to incorporate climate change considerations into its policies and to limit emissions

Under the National Emissions Ceilings Directive, unless there is a change of policy Ireland will breach its emissions ceiling for NOx

Council Regulation (EEC) No 2408/92 of 23 July 1992 on Air Transport Access refers specifically , in particular for island regions, of having recourse to other forms of transport and the ability of such forms to meet the transport needs under consideration”

Article 6 of the EC Treaty requires that “Environmental protection requirements must be integrated into the definition and implementation of the Community policies and activities referred to in Article 3, in particular with a view to promoting sustainable development."

A spokesperson said that subsidies for internal short haul flights are a socially regressive transfer of wealth from the exchequer to the higher income users of the service as well as contradicting stated public policy of favoring public transport

References:
DKM Economic Consultants Ltd, 2003, Review of Air Services Supported by the Essential Air Services Programme (Report to Department of Transport) http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/4803-0.pdf

Douthwaite, R., and Healy, D., 2004, Subsidies and Emissions of Greenhouse Gases from Fossil Fuels (Report to Comhar, National Sustainable Development Partnership) http://friendsoftheirishenvironment.net/pdf/subsidies.pdf