The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council and other non-EU member states agreed to launch a formal protest against the EU last week over its plans to charge for carbon emissions from airlines, a move ICAO and other countries called discriminatory and inconsistent with global laws. Starting in January, airlines will have to buy permits from the Emissions Trading Scheme for 15% of carbon emissions produced during flights to and from Europe. The non-EU ICAO members opposed the "unilateral" imposition of the Emissions Trading Scheme, and asked the EU to work with the rest of the world to reduce emissions from aviation. The countries expressed concern that the rules may violate the Chicago Convention on international aviation and also World Trade Organization rules. So far, 26 countries, including China, Russia, and the United States, have opposed the plan, and carriers such as American Airlines, Continental Airlines, and Middle Eastern Airlines have joined opposition to the EU plan. For the full story, see http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-09-29/india-rallies-30-nations-against-eu-airline-emission-levy.html.