EU approves France’s short-haul flight ban — but only for 3 routes
WORLD 04 December 2022 - 06:05
The European Commission has approved France’s plan to ban short-haul flights when there’s a decent rail alternative — but it will only affect three routes.
French lawmakers in 2021 voted to prohibit short-haul domestic flights when there’s an alternative rail connection of two and a half hours or less.
The original proposal, which required the green light from Brussels, was slated to affect eight routes.
Now the Commission has said the ban can only take place if there are genuine rail alternatives available for the same route — meaning several direct connections each way every day, POLITICO reports.
That means only three routes will currently fall under the ban: journeys between Paris-Orly and Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon.
The EU executive said France was justified to introduce the measure provided it is "non-discriminatory, does not distort competition between air carriers, is not more restrictive than necessary to relieve the problem."
Three more routes could be added — between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon and Rennes, and between Lyon and Marseille — if rail services improve.
Those routes currently don’t meet the threshold because travelers trying to get to airports in Paris and Lyon don't have a rail connection that would get them in early enough in the morning or late enough in the evening.
Two other proposed routes — from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Bordeaux and Nantes — were excluded from the measure because the rail journey time falls above the two-and-a-half-hour limit.
The Commission also removed a proposed exemption to the ban that the French government wanted to apply to domestic flights that are part of a multi-stop international journey. The overall measure should last only three years, with a review after two, it said.
“This is a major step forward and I am proud that France is a pioneer in this area,” France’s Transport Minister Clément Beaune said in an emailed statement.
Green groups were also encouraged by the Commission's approval but stressed that the country has to do much more to decarbonize transport.
“The French ban on short-haul flights where quick train connections exist is a baby step, but it’s one in the right direction," said Thomas Gelin, Greenpeace’s EU climate campaigner.
French Green MEP Karima Delli described the news as a “victory,” but said that the legislation should have been extended to cover flights that could be replaced by a four-hour train journey.
That was the original idea for the flight ban as proposed by France’s Citizens' Convention on Climate, a citizens' assembly tasked with making proposals for reducing the country's carbon emissions. The scope was narrowed following objections by some French regions and by Franco-Dutch airline Air France-KLM.
Delli also argued that private jets should be included in the measure. Beaune said this summer he wanted to see more EU-wide measures against private planes, following the popular backlash against them in France.
Caliber.Az
1
|
Iran re-evaluating its ties with Azerbaijan, Armenia Baku - more important, honest partner than Yerevan
25 April 2024 - 12:00
|
2
|
Armenia returns four villages to Azerbaijan, paving the way for peace in the South Caucasus Landmark accord
23 April 2024 - 09:14
|
3
|
"Peoples of South Caucasus should resolve their differences independently" Foreign analysts on Caliber.Az
24 April 2024 - 17:40
|
4
|
Mark Rutte seeks Türkiye's backing for new job A new pair of hands
24 April 2024 - 16:55
|
5
|
Armenian PM's Moscow visit sparks speculation on bilateral relations Dilemma between East, West
23 April 2024 - 11:19
|
Türkiye bases its relations with African countries on win-win principle: Parliament speaker
26 April 2024 - 20:53
ICJ concludes public hearings on 'Azerbaijan v. Armenia' case, proceeds to evidence verification
26 April 2024 - 20:45
Turkic parliament committee chairmen tour Khankendi & Shusha in Azerbaijan
26 April 2024 - 20:39
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in US over sale
26 April 2024 - 20:39
Health Ministry: Over 50 Palestinians killed in Gaza as Israeli onslaught continues
26 April 2024 - 20:26
Azerbaijani president meets German FM in Berlin, discusses COP29 & peace agenda
26 April 2024 - 20:22
Russia, Ukraine hand over bodies of dead soldiers
26 April 2024 - 20:11
Political analyst: Armenian leadership hostile towards Russia
26 April 2024 - 19:56
Israeli civilian fatally injured in anti-tank missile strike near Lebanon border
VIDEO26 April 2024 - 19:41
Turkish court sentences Syrian woman to life in prison for bombing in Istanbul in 2022
26 April 2024 - 19:26
Azerbaijani, Kazakh military specialists convene for bilateral co-op discussions
26 April 2024 - 19:16
Armenia, Italy agree on military-technical cooperation
26 April 2024 - 19:11
Kazakhstan hosting meeting of defence ministers of SCO member states
26 April 2024 - 18:56
Azerbaijan, Armenia install 28 markers as border clarification works reach 35% completion
26 April 2024 - 18:50
UK’s ministry: Russian forces accelerating advance west of Ukraine’s Avdiivka
26 April 2024 - 18:41
Kazakh military delegation explores Azerbaijan's defense capabilities during visit
26 April 2024 - 18:35
France, Germany push on with 2040 joint tank project
26 April 2024 - 18:26
Political analyst: Demarcation of border with Azerbaijan meets Armenia’s vital interests
26 April 2024 - 18:11
Palestinian Resistance factions fighting against Israeli forces across besieged Gaza Strip
26 April 2024 - 17:56
US Central Command conducts humanitarian airdrops into Gaza
26 April 2024 - 17:41
Azerbaijan unveils programme of sixth World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue in Baku
26 April 2024 - 17:26
Azerbaijan's energy offer signals path to normalization with Armenia
Amid geopolitical shifts26 April 2024 - 17:24
Spain to send Patriot missiles to Ukraine
26 April 2024 - 17:11
Russia's oil revenues grow despite Western sanctions
Bill of the war26 April 2024 - 17:05
US, China spar over bilateral, global issues
26 April 2024 - 16:56
Kyrgyzstan's school-building gesture in Karabakh signals deeper ties with Azerbaijan
26 April 2024 - 16:41
Armenian PM vows to tackle existential challenges
We will address this issue26 April 2024 - 16:30
Azerbaijani police find explosive devices, ammunition in Khojavend
PHOTO26 April 2024 - 16:28
IAEA: Situation at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains unpredictable
26 April 2024 - 16:13
US Mojave proves its unmatched versatility in unprecedented live-fire demo
26 April 2024 - 15:58
From energy cooperation to investment expansion
Baku, Budapest forge stronger business ties26 April 2024 - 15:45
Russian operation to seize Chasiv Yar offers most immediate prospects for significant advances
ISW analysts’ opinion26 April 2024 - 15:43
Turkish president to meet with US counterpart at White House in May
26 April 2024 - 15:28
Sweden to move ahead with sending troops to Latvia as part of NATO forces
26 April 2024 - 15:13
Armenian, Serbian FMs discuss regional issues
26 April 2024 - 14:58
COP29 leadership team, Spanish minister discuss Presidency’s Plan
26 April 2024 - 14:43
NATO Secretary General warns West against dependence on China
26 April 2024 - 14:28
Azerbaijani President attended High Level Segment of 15th Petersberg Climate Dialogue
VIDEO26 April 2024 - 14:19
Joint Turkish-Russian Monitoring Centre in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam ceases its activity
26 April 2024 - 14:13
All-Belarusian People's Assembly adopts new military doctrine, security concept
26 April 2024 - 13:58