On July 14, 2021, the European Commission published its much anticipated ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package.
‘Fit for 55’ legislative package
As part of this legislative package, the European Commission has proposed a legislation to support the uptake of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF): ReFuelEU Aviation.
If this legislative proposal is adopted, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will be mandated with several monitoring and reporting tasks to ensure that aircraft operators and fuel suppliers comply with the ReFuelEU Aviation reporting obligations. Annual reports provided by EASA will give an overview of the state of the market, including price information, and trends in sustainable aviation fuel production in the European Union and consumption at European Union level.
Aircraft operators might report directly to EASA on difficulties in accessing SAF at a given European Union airport for lack of adequate airport infrastructure, which will enable EASA to assess the situation and inform the European Commission on EU airports that do not fulfil their obligations.
The overall goal of the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative is to set out harmonised rules at European Union level, to maintain a competitive level playing field, to increase the uptake of SAF by operators and the increase distribution at Union airports.
With the vision to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and to reduce emissions by 55% in 2030, the comprehensive package covers a number of initiatives linked to the European Green Deal’s climate actions.
