Air transport and environment: emission of oxides of nitrogen NOx from civil subsonic jet aeroplanes

OBJECTIVE: establishing rules introducing future restrictions on registration of certain subsonic civil jet aircraft in the Member States so as to reduce total emission levels of nitrogen oxides (NOX). SUBSTANCE: the proposal for a directive follows on from: - the Green Paper on the impact of transport on the environment; - a Commission Communication on 'the future development of the common transport policy - Community framework for sustainable mobility' stressing the need to tighten up progressively exhaust emission standards in the various transport sectors - the action programme seeking to introduce tighter limits for NOx emissions. The proposal arises from the recommendation formulated at the third meeting of the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP/3) as adopted in the form of a non-addition rule which puts into practice the limits recommended by the CAEP/3 in connection with efforts to reduce NOx emissions, resulting in a reduction in permitted NOx emission levels in the ICAO certificate standard by just over 16%. Taken together with the 20% reduction from the CAEP/2 meeting, this would mean an overall reduction of 33% had been achieved against the original standard which came into force in 1986. No later than four years following the implementation of this directive, the Commission will submit to Council a report on the results of studies presently underway and an evaluation of the development of NOx emissions from aeroplanes. �