CHAPTER II

AVIATION

Special reserve for certain aircraft operators
Article 3f
1
In each period referred to in Article 3c(2), 3 % of the total quantity of allowances to be allocated shall be set aside in a special reserve for aircraft operators:
a
who start performing an aviation activity falling within Annex I after the monitoring year for which tonne-kilometre data was submitted under Article 3e(1) in respect of a period referred to in Article 3c(2); or
b
whose tonne-kilometre data increases by an average of more than 18 % annually between the monitoring year for which tonne-kilometre data was submitted under Article 3e(1) in respect of a period referred to in Article 3c(2) and the second calendar year of that period;
and whose activity under point (a), or additional activity under point (b), is not in whole or in part a continuation of an aviation activity previously performed by another aircraft operator.
2
An aircraft operator who is eligible under paragraph 1 may apply for a free allocation of allowances from the special reserve by making an application to the competent authority of its administering Member State. Any application shall be made by 30 June in the third year of the period referred to in Article 3c(2) to which it relates.
An allocation to an aircraft operator under paragraph 1(b) shall not exceed
1 000 000
allowances.
3
An application under paragraph 2 shall:
a
include verified tonne-kilometre data in accordance with Annexes IV and V for the aviation activities listed in Annex I performed by the aircraft operator in the second calendar year of the period referred to in Article 3c(2) to which the application relates;
b
provide evidence that the criteria for eligibility under paragraph 1 are fulfilled; and
c
in the case of aircraft operators falling within paragraph 1(b), state:
1. the percentage increase in tonne-kilometres performed by that aircraft operator between the monitoring year for which tonne-kilometre data was submitted under Article 3e(1) in respect of a period referred to in Article 3c(2) and the second calendar year of that period;
2. the absolute growth in tonne-kilometres performed by that aircraft operator between the monitoring year for which tonne-kilometre data was submitted under Article 3e(1) in respect of a period referred to in Article 3c(2) and the second calendar year of that period; and
3. the absolute growth in tonne-kilometres performed by that aircraft operator between the monitoring year for which tonne-kilometre data was submitted under Article 3e(1) in respect of a period referred to in Article 3c(2) and the second calendar year of that period which exceeds the percentage specified in paragraph 1(b).
4
No later than six months from the deadline for making an application under paragraph 2, Member States shall submit applications received under that paragraph to the Commission.
5
No later than 12 months from the deadline for making an application under paragraph 2, the Commission shall decide on the benchmark to be used to allocate allowances free of charge to aircraft operators whose applications were submitted to the Commission in accordance with paragraph 4.
Subject to paragraph 6, the benchmark shall be calculated by dividing the number of the allowances in the special reserve by the sum of:
a
the tonne-kilometre data for aircraft operators falling within paragraph 1(a) included in applications submitted to the Commission in accordance with paragraphs 3(a) and 4; and
b
the absolute growth in tonne-kilometres exceeding the percentage specified in paragraph 1(b) for aircraft operators falling within paragraph 1(b) included in applications submitted to the Commission in accordance with paragraphs 3(c)(iii) and 4.
6
The benchmark referred to in paragraph 5 shall not result in an annual allocation per tonne-kilometre greater than the annual allocation per tonne-kilometre to aircraft operators under Article 3e(4).
7
Within three months from the date on which the Commission adopts a decision under paragraph 5, each administering Member State shall calculate and publish:
a
the allocation of allowances from the special reserve to each aircraft operator whose application it submitted to the Commission in accordance with paragraph 4. This allocation shall be calculated by multiplying the benchmark referred to in paragraph 5 by:
1. in the case of an aircraft operator falling within paragraph 1(a), the tonne-kilometre data included in the application submitted to the Commission under paragraphs 3(a) and 4;
2. in the case of an aircraft operator falling within paragraph 1(b), the absolute growth in tonne-kilometres exceeding the percentage specified in paragraph 1(b) included in the application submitted to the Commission under paragraphs 3(c)(iii) and 4; and
b
the allocation of allowances to each aircraft operator for each year, which shall be determined by dividing its allocation of allowances under point (a) by the number of full calendar years remaining in the period referred to in Article 3c(2) to which the allocation relates.
8
Any unallocated allowances in the special reserve shall be auctioned by Member States.
9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inserted by Directive 2008/101/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to include aviation activities in the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community (Text with EEA relevance).
Deleted by Directive (EU) 2018/410 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2018 amending Directive 2003/87/EC to enhance cost-effective emission reductions and low-carbon investments, and Decision (EU) 2015/1814 (Text with EEA relevance).