Tough STAND

New Delhi, May 19: India is gearing up to retaliate against the European Union’s plan to slap penalties on two domestic airlines — Air India and Jet Airways — for failing to pay carbon emission fees.

India has made it clear that it will oppose the EU measure.

“We have not received any information regarding the fines. As far as we know, the scheme has been postponed,” civil aviation minister Ajit Singh said. He added that the EU was overstepping its jurisdiction in trying to slap a fine on foreign carriers for carbon emission.

The EU had also slapped a fine on eight Chinese carriers, and Beijing has decided to follow a line similar to India’s.

Last week, the European Commission had said Air China and Air India were among the 10 Chinese and Indian carriers likely to be fined and barred from the EU airports for refusing to comply with rules aimed at regulating greenhouse emissions.

Sources said the Indian government was observing the situation and might soon take retaliatory measures if the European Commission went ahead with its threat. Air India and Jet Airways, the only two domestic airlines to fly to Europe, have been named in the EU Emissions Trading System’s (ETS) report.

Air China and the other seven Chinese carriers, including China Airlines, China Eastern and China Southern, are also accused of not providing emission data.

Besides, the European Commission alleged that the airlines were not participating in a permit system that entitled them to emit greenhouse gases in European airspace. The eight Chinese companies were liable to a combined penalty of around 2.4 million euros, while the two Indian airlines have been fined around 30,000 euros.

“We are observing the situation as we have just been told about the recent developments. We have made our stand clear on previous occasions when the issue of payment of the carbon tax for CO2 emission was discussed. However, we are still consulting the government and cannot divulge our strategy on the issue,” a senior civil aviation ministry official said.

Ministry to take call

The national carrier has been directed by the government not to communicate with the EU. “We have received a number of letters from the EU and we are duly forwarding it to the ministry. They will take the necessary steps in the matter,” an Air India official said.

Last year, India and 22 other countries, including Russia, China and the US, had decided to impose heavy costs on European airlines and plane manufacturers after being faced with the EU’s decision to levy a carbon tax on all flights operating on its skies.

A joint declaration to this effect was unanimously adopted at a meeting of these countries in Moscow in February last year.