On 17 July, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, hosted a high-level Implementation Dialogue in Brussels focused on ramping up renewable and low-carbon maritime and aviation fuels production in the EU. The event aimed to feed into the upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) and reviewed the early implementation of the ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime regulations.
ERA was represented by Vice President Vasiliki Christidi, who presented the concerns of Europe’s regional airline sector. The intervention highlighted how the current implementation of ReFuelEU is leading to market fragmentation, operational inefficiencies and cost disparities, placing a disproportionate burden on regional airlines and undermining fair access across the network.
To support this intervention, ERA has outlined its views in this paper, with the key points summarised below:
Summary of ERA’s views:
- The SAF market is evolving without oversight, creating structural imbalances between airports and Member States that disproportionately penalise regional airlines and undermine fair competition under ReFuelEU.
- The SAF market must be treated as regulated infrastructure, with a clear EU mandate to monitor availability, pricing and market functioning across the Union.
- A robust EU-wide Book & Claim system is essential to decouple physical supply from compliance, allowing all airlines – regardless of location – to meet ReFuelEU targets on fair and equal terms.
- Transparent pricing and clearly defined exemptions are essential to fix structural imbalances without compromising climate ambition.
- A fast-track revision mechanism should be introduced by 2027, enabling timely adjustments to ReFuelEU based on real-world implementation experience.
On the same day, a joint Destination 2050 press release – endorsed by ERA and its partners – was formally handed to Commissioner Tzitzikostas. The statement calls for stronger policy support to accelerate SAF deployment and outlines a 10-point action plan to enable large-scale SAF production. It emphasises the need for clear and consistent frameworks to de-risk private investment, bridge the cost gap with conventional fuels and support innovation in next-generation fuel technologies.
ERA will continue to advocate for a SAF implementation framework that supports fair access, regional connectivity, and a competitive internal market – in line with the EU’s decarbonisation and cohesion goals.