Commission lobbies Commission over green jet fuel

BRUSSELS — An “aviation industry declaration” on sustainable fuel, due to be given to the EU’s transport chief next week, was actually drafted by European Commission officials and sent to aviation lobbies for endorsement, several lobbyists told POLITICO.

The so-called Le Bourget Declaration backs the Commission’s targets for increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel, which are included in the ReFuelEU legislation, starkly contrasting with the recent request from major European airlines to delay.

It is set to be presented to Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, which starts on Monday.

“This didn’t come from us; this came from DG MOVE,” a lobby representative told POLITICO, speaking on condition of anonymity. DG MOVE is the Commission’s department for mobility and transport.

“A couple of weeks ago, DG MOVE contacted us and said, ‘We want you to sign this and give it to the Commissioner,’” the lobbyist said. “Officially, it’s our initiative, but unofficially it came from the Commission, which is highly unusual.”

The Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

Other lobbyists confirmed they received the document from DG MOVE weeks ago. They responded by asking that the draft be integrated with actual industry requests, such as introducing a tradability system for SAF called book-and-claim, which the Commission has so far opposed.

A draft of the document, seen by POLITICO, includes this request.

“Now it’s basically a Frankenstein that carries all sorts of different messages,” said another lobbyist.

“In the end, it’s probably not going to achieve anything because the main message has been diluted,” the sector representative added.

The industry paper of dubious origin recommends various “calls for immediate action” to be included in the upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan, which Tzitzikostas will announce later this year.

According to an airline representative, the Commission’s efforts to influence the message of the aviation industry are an attempt to repair the communication damage inflicted on ReFuelEU — the EU’s flagship legislation to decarbonize aviation — at the Airlines for Europe summit in late March.

It is set to be presented to Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas during the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport. | Ronald Wittek/EPA

On that occasion, the CEOs of major airlines, including Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, Ryanair and British Airways’ parent company, IAG, called for a delay in what they called “not realistic” mandates aimed at increasing the role of SAF — which is currently mainly made from used cooking oil — in the jet fuel mix.

The first SAF mandate to include at least 2 percent SAF in the jet fuel mix sold to airlines took effect on Jan. 1. But airlines are complaining that they are paying twice the expected price as suppliers are charging them additional “compliance fees” in addition to SAF, which already costs three times the price of fossil kerosene.

In 2030, fuel suppliers will be requested to provide jet fuel that is at least 6 percent SAF, including 1.2 percent of synthetic e-SAF made from renewable hydrogen and captured CO2. No final investment decisions have been made on any e-SAF projects in Europe.

“The Commissioner doesn’t want to replicate the disaster of the automotive sector,” said the carrier lobbyist, referring to the ban on selling new gas and diesel vehicles from 2035, a measure openly opposed by many in the car industry. “He wants to ensure that airlines continue to support the measures adopted” with regard to aviation.

The declaration proposes several actions, including the joint creation of a revenue certainty instrument by the Commission and member countries to overcome the mismatch between the long-term production and short-term use of e-SAF.

This mechanism could take the form of contracts for difference, demand aggregation mechanisms, or double-sided auctions, and it should be operational by the end of 2026 to reduce the risk of investing in e-SAF.

Another recommendation is to introduce targeted simplification measures for early movers and small-to-medium businesses investing in SAF to reduce the administrative burden.

Representatives from the lobby groups who received the document told POLITICO they intend to sign it.

Martina Sapio contributed reporting.