The European Commission is looking at extending its carbon market to cover international flights, seeking to put a price on more of the sector’s emissions and ensure fair treatment across airlines, a senior official said on Tuesday (May 12,2026).
Brussels is redesigning the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), which requires power plants and industries to buy carbon permits for their greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme caps the number of permits available, to steer industries towards meeting EU climate targets.
The scheme caps the number of permits available to steer industries towards meeting EU climate targets. Mr. Polona Gregorin, a senior official at the Commission’s climate department, said the review would consider extending the ETS to put a carbon price on emissions from flights departing the EU. Currently, the scheme only imposes carbon costs on flights within Europe.
The change would aim to ensure equal treatment between routes for all operators, Mr. Gregorin said.
However, the move risks a backlash from trade partners, including the United States, which opposed a previous EU attempt to expand its carbon market to cover international flights in 2011.
