The European Parliament backed the European Commission's ReFuelEU Aviation proposal, aiming to increase sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) usage for EU departing flights by 2025. Amendments made by MEPs include advocating for higher SAF blending levels, an increased synthetic fuel sub-mandate, and a flexibility mechanism to ensure cost-effective uptake without burdening smaller airports. They raised the minimum SAF share at EU airports and pushed for a higher percentage of synthetic fuels by 2050. SAF's definition was expanded to include recycled carbon fuels, with biofuels possibly included until 2034. A Sustainable Aviation Fund was proposed, and MEPs urged the commission to develop an EU-wide environmental performance labeling system for aviation. The vote sets the stage for negotiations between the Parliament and the Council of the EU, aligning with broader EU climate goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030, including measures like tightening the emissions trading system and an EU-wide aviation fuel tax.
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