The European Commission filed a lawsuit against Poland over climate rules for aviation
The European Commission has brought a case before the Court of the European Union against Poland for failing to comply with the climate directive concerning the aviation sector. This was reported by RMF24.
In addition to Poland, Spain is also a defendant in this case.
The issue concerns the update of the climate directive — one of the key elements of the EU's environmental policy. It involves changes for the aviation industry, including the gradual elimination of free greenhouse gas emission allowances within the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Going forward, airlines will have to purchase these allowances at auctions, which is intended to encourage pollution reduction.
The goal of the changes is to reduce emissions and increase the financial responsibility of airlines for their environmental impact.
The deadline for implementing the new rules expired in December 2023. Despite repeated reminders from the European Commission, Poland has yet to adopt the relevant legislation. The draft law remains under government consideration, which became the basis for the lawsuit.
Brussels states that the actions of the national authorities are insufficient, so the case has been referred to the EU Court with a request to impose financial sanctions.
If the implementation of the rules is further delayed, Poland may face substantial fines — both one-time payments and daily charges for each day of non-compliance. Potential losses could reach millions of euros.
The final decision in the case is expected no earlier than two years from now.
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