The European Parliament has voted 458 to 120 against a tax on carbon emissions from commercial aircraft flying over European air space on international flights, according to Shipping Gazette.
The European Parliament voted to limit the current regulation to domestic flights until at least 2016, reported Reuters. The vote marks the end of three years of debate, during which China and the United States had threatened retaliation if the EU levied tax carbon emissions over non-EU airspace.
The European Commission had proposed extending the regulation to also cover the portion of international flights over EU territory, insisting Europe was within its rights to regulate within its own airspace.
But EU member states came out against the plan, fearing it could spark a trade war with major trading partners and hamper progress towards a globally-agreed deal to curb aviation emissions.
But other lawmakers criticised the vote: "It is reckless to dismantle this effective climate policy instrument in exchange for a vague promise on a global scheme in the distant future without guarantees of environmental integrity or ambition," said Finland's Green MEP Satu Hassit.
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