EU Launches Action Against Cyprus and 12 Member States Over Sustainable Aviation Fuel Penalties
The European Commission has initiated infringement proceedings against Cyprus for failing to implement mandatory national penalty frameworks under the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, designed to curb air transport carbon emissions.
The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against Cyprus and 12 other European Union member states for failing to adopt national penalty regimes required under the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation, a key piece of EU legislation aimed at promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuels.
According to a Commission announcement, Cyprus is among 13 member states alongside Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia, that have yet to establish and notify the Commission of national rules on penalties for breaches of the regulation.
The EU executive has, therefore, sent letters of formal notice to the countries concerned, as a first step in the EU infringement procedure and calling on them to comply with their legal obligations.
The ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation is a central pillar of the EU’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions from air transport. It seeks to gradually increase the production and uptake of sustainable aviation fuels across airports throughout the European Union while providing long-term regulatory certainty for the aviation sector.
Under the regulation, member states were required by 31 December 2024 to adopt rules establishing penalties applicable to aviation fuel suppliers, aircraft operators and airport managing bodies in cases of non-compliance with the new requirements. However, the 13 member states failed to notify the Commission of the necessary measures by the deadline, despite repeated reminders from EU authorities.
Cyprus now has two months to respond to the Commission’s concerns and take the measures necessary to ensure compliance. Should the response prove unsatisfactory, the Commission may proceed to the next stage of the infringement procedure by issuing a reasoned opinion against the Republic of Cyprus.
