EU defiant over pollution reforms

The European Union (EU) is confident environmental legislation reforms aimed at tackling pollution in the airline industry will be forced through.

Earlier this week, lawmakers in the US voted to make the country's airlines exempt from the emissions trading scheme that is set to be introduced across the 27 EU states in 2012.

However, EU spokesperson Isaac Valero-Ladron was reported by the Press Association as saying: "We do not intend to modify our adopted legislation."

Airlines from various nations outside of Europe - including the US and China - have been up in arms about the initiative that will see carriers charged if they emit more than their allocation of carbon emissions when operating in the EU.

Indeed, US House Transportation Committee chair John Mica was reported by Reuters as saying the emissions ruling was a "taxing scheme".

Despite his defiant stance, Mr Valero-Ladron added the EU would take suggestions on board.

"The European Commission is of course open to discuss other partners' concerns on how we will implement our legislation," he was quoted as saying.