The text, which will be the basis of the European Parliament's negotiations with the Member States, provides that the fuels available in EU airports will include at least 2% "renewable fuels" in 2025, then 37% in 2040 and 85% by 2050.

These minimum rates are significantly higher than the objectives initially proposed by the Commission (32% for 2040 and 63% by 2050) as part of the European climate plan.

In return, the MEPs gathered in Strasbourg are asking to broaden the definition of fuels considered "sustainable", which the EPP group (pro-European right) demanded in the name of increased "flexibility" for companies.

In the Commission's draft, the term covered synthetic fuels (made by extracting hydrogen from water and atmospheric CO2) or biofuels from agricultural residues, algae, biomass, cooking oil used.

However, Parliament adds fuels based on recycled carbon produced from the treatment of gases emitted by industrial installations.

Above all, it includes electricity (provided it is "green") and hydrogen, "promising technologies" to help aviation decarbonize.

Airports would be required to build hydrogen refueling infrastructure and electric charging stations.

On the other hand, MEPs excluded biofuels made from crops intended for human or animal consumption, or derived from palm oil and soya.

They thus responded to the deep concern of environmentalist MEPs, in the face of global food insecurity and massive deforestation in certain producing countries.

A fund would also be created to help the industry defray the cost of the new rules.

"Aviation is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize (...) If we do not act, either we will be forced to stop flying (to stay within the nails of the climate plan), or we will give up our climate goals," said Danish MEP Soren Gade (Renew, Liberals), rapporteur for the text.

Claudia Monteiro de Aguiar (PPE) called for "pragmatism": "We cannot be ideologues and generate difficulties for the sector and consumers", warned the Portuguese elected representative, judging the objectives on synthetic fuels "not realistic in the short term, especially for the countries of the South and East" of the EU.

"Without ramping up production (of sustainable fuels) at competitive prices, these requirements risk creating chaos...at the risk of undermining our environmental goals," she warned.

© 2022 AFP