Senior government officials in the aviation and external affairs ministries would meet on Monday, less than a week before the proposed European Union Emission Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) kicks off, to chalk out strategies to deal with the EU’s move to tax air carriers for carbon emission beyond a set limit.

Among various proposals to counter the move is asking European carriers to submit emission-related data on lines of the US. The US in an official order earlier this month asked the European carriers including British Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to submit data such as revenue tonne kilometres operated on flights between the US points and points in the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein retaliating to the EU directive to its carriers.

Under the proposed EU-ETS, airlines using EU airspace are required to pay a fee for carbon emissions beyond a set limit from January 1, 2012. As per International Air Transport Association (IATA), airlines globally would have to pay nearly $1.2 billion to the EU for carbon emission.

As per an estimate, Air India and Jet Airways, which operates to several points in the EU and overflies the European airspace for their trans-Atlantic flights, would see R300 crore going in carbon tax annually. The senior executives of the two airlines are also expected to take part in the meeting on Monday.

India has strongly objected to the EU’s green tax issuing a joint declaration with the top countries like the US, China and Brazil against the proposal.

?We are of the view that the proposed ETS is illegal and violates the Chicago convention,” a government official said. The Court of Justice of the European Union had on Wednesday ruled that the EU?s emissions trading scheme is legal rejecting the appeal of a group of American carriers such as Continental, United and American Airlines.

IATA that represents 240 carriers controlling 84% of global air traffic has expressed disappointment over court decision. Global aviation body director general and CEO Tony Tyler has termed EU-ETS unilateral, extra-territorial and market-distorting initiative.