Russia Escalates European Union Emissions Trading Row
Russia has blocked overflight rights for European carrier Finnair in protest at the European Union emissions trading scheme.
Russia insists that its airlines, such as state-owned Aeroflot, will not be made to comply with the European Union's emissions trading scheme. (Photo: Airbus)
Russia insists that its airlines, such as state-owned Aeroflot, will not be made to comply with the European Union's emissions trading scheme. (Photo: Airbus)

Russia has raised the stakes in the increasingly bitter dispute over the European Union’s imposition of its controversial emissions trading scheme (ETS) by refusing to grant new overflight rights to Finnair and abandoning a commitment to allowing new rights to be issued free of charge. The Russian government confirmed that it had deliberately singled out Finnair for punishment as an EU-based carrier and that it intends to punish other EU airlines in the same way—probably starting with Scandinavian Airline System, since Russia is currently in a standoff with the governments of Sweden, Norway and Denmark over traffic rights.