Ryanair Condemns European Parliament Decision

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News Release
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08.07.08
Ryanair Condemns European Parliament Decision

TO INCREASE TAXES ON AIR TRAVEL

MEASURE WILL HAVE NO EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENT

Ryanair, Europe’s largest low fares airline (8th July) today condemned the European Parliaments decision to include aviation in EU emissions trading systems from 2012 onwards. This vote by the European Parliament (which does untold environmental damage by moving bi-weekly between Strasbourg and Brussels) could add up to €50 per flight to the cost of passenger tickets from 2012 onwards (although even these MEP’s don’t know how much the final figure will be), in a measure that will substantially increase taxation on Europe’s consumers, but will do nothing whatsoever for the environment.

Ryanair condemned this additional taxation on an industry which accounts for less than 2% of Europe’s Co2 emissions, as just another vacuous and useless gesture. Taxation does not reduce emissions and will not effect the environment. This extra taxation will be pocketed by every European Government and will reduce the competitiveness of Europe, at a time when no other country or trading block outside Europe is pursuing these environmentally ineffective and anti consumer measures.

Speaking today Ryanair’s Chief Executive Michael O’Leary said:

“It is extraordinary that a bunch of MEP’s who swan around between Strasbourg and Brussels, enjoy huge expenses and flight benefits, would vote to increase taxation on Europe’s consumers in a measure which won’t have any effect at all on the environment, but will further damage European airlines at a time when oil is already $140 a barrel.

“These clowns in the European Parliament seem determined to destroy the European airline industry with these discriminatory taxation penalties. When aviation accounts for less than 2% of Europe’s Co2 emissions, and when airlines like Ryanair have invested heavily in new aircraft to reduce our emissions per passenger by 50%, there is no justification for this tax theft by the European Union.

“Aviation is not the cause of, nor the solution to Co2 emissions or global warming. Increasing taxation on air travel will have no effect on either emissions or global warming, it will just raise the cost of air travel for ordinary European consumers and their families, at a time when the fat cat MEP’s will continue to have their flights paid for from their excessive and over generous expenses. Is it any wonder that European integration is in difficulty, when instead of improving the competitiveness of European air travel, the European Parliament is further raising the tax burden on Europe’s citizens with these totally ineffective but very expensive environmental tax scams.”

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10.07.08
Ryanair erfüllt bereits Entscheidung des Europa-Parlaments

Keine Änderungen auf http://www.ryanair.com notwendig

London-Stansted, 09. Juli 2008: Ryanair, Europas größte Low Fare Airline, begrüßte die heutige Entscheidung des Europa-Parlaments, auch andere Fluggesellschaften zu einer Preistransparenz aufzufordern, wie sie bei Ryanair bereits der Standard ist. Ryanair geht daher konform mit dem heute getroffenen Beschluss.
Ryanair-Pressesprecher Stephen McNamara sagte dazu:
„Ryanair ist erfreut darüber, dass das Europa-Parlament nun auch andere Airlines dazu bringt, gleichsam hohe Standards in Sachen Preistransparenz umzusetzen, wie Ryanair sie schon erfüllt. Es werden daher im Nachgang zu dieser Gesetzgebung keine Änderungen auf der Ryanair-Website notwendig sein, da http://www.ryanair.com diese schon erfüllt.
Damit ist Ryanair dem Europa-Parlamentnicht nur bereits einen Schritt voraus, sondern garantiert zudem, nie einen Kerosinzuschlag zu erheben und immer die niedrigsten Tarife anzubieten.
Wenn das Parlament die Verbraucher allerdings ganz konsequent im Blick haben würde, würde es zudem die ungerechtfertigten Kerosinzuschläge gesetzlich verbieten.“