The general approach reached in the Transport Council yesterday on an aviation fuel proposal was a first step in the legislative process that will now pave the way for negotiations with the European Parliament, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia has said.
He was referring to the ReFuelEU aviation proposal, which aims to support a transition from fossil fuels towards sustainable fuels in air transport.
The minister's statement came after earlier in the day, PN spokesperson Peter Agius said that the Maltese government failed to shape new EU aviation rules 'that will place a disproportionate burden' on Malta due to additional fuel costs.
"This is another case where the Maltese Government is failing to adapt proposed legislation to cater to our specific situation of insularity and dependence on air transport," Agius had said.
Agius said that the proposed rules place a disproportionate burden on Malta as an island Member State given the islands' dependence of air traffic. Agius said that 98% of incoming tourists to Malta reach the islands by air transport. "Our economy depends almost exclusively on air transport. We do not have the same access to rail and road networks as Germany or Poland. EU rules should take stock of this reality by including specific provisions for island territories. This is another case where Brussels is proposing one size fits all legislation and the Maltese Government is failing to make Malta's case for policies that cater to our specific situation. With the rules as proposed, our economy will see the costs of insularity rise further.' The PN spokesperson said. He went on to say that the proposed rules "presumably accepted by the Maltese government recognise the additional impact on islands, but fail to take any action or include any corrective mechanism, leaving the matter to a report to be done in five years time."
Among other things, the PN spokesperson also said that the Ministers in Brussels are asking the Commission to present a report with a 'detailed assessment of the impact of the new rules on connectivity for islands' in 2027 and that this will be too late to avert impact in 2027. "According to industry sources, the new legislation will see fuel costs rise up to six times more than the current scenario. The impact may not be restricted to pannenger transport given that, by 2019 figures, a total weight of 16,425 tonnes of cargo was also processed by the Malta International Airport," Agius said.
In reaction, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said that the objectives of the ReFuelEU aviation proposal, aimed at increasing both the demand for, and supply of sustainable aviation fuels while ensuring a level playing field across the EU air transport market, "are critical for the decarbonisation transition of the sector, to which Malta is fully committed, in line with the Climate Law and our collective 2030 ambition."
"The agreement reached in the Council contains necessary safeguards that recognise issues of peripherality, connectivity and operational flexibility for Member States like Malta with limited connectivity options, and pursues the goal of establishing a level playing field in the EU," the minister said.
"Government continues to stress Malta's key realities and specificities in term of its reliance on air transport for our tourism sector and for the livelihood of Maltese citizens. The government will continue to drive home this important message as the next phase of negotiations with the European Parliament kick off so as to preserve these critical elements. The general approach reached in the Transport Council yesterday on the ReFuelEU aviation proposal was a first step in the legislative process that will now pave the way for negotiations with the European Parliament. Further work will be carried out on this dossier in order to reach an agreement between the co-legislators, also in the context of reaching a deal on the overall Fit for 55 Package," Farrugia added.