The European Parliament Committee on Transport and Tourism held a hearing on 5 May 2026 on book and claim for sustainable aviation fuels under ReFuelEU Aviation. Chair Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi (EPP) framed the debate around slow SAF uptake, high costs, and scarce supply. MEPs and experts examined economics, scope, fraud, competitiveness, and legal design.
Market competition vs. skepticism
Jens Gieseke (EPP) and Jan-Christoph Oetjen (Renew) supported book and claim to boost competition, while Kosma Złotowski (ECR) rejected the approach as unworkable. On scope, Daniel Chereau (IATA) and Tom Berg (SkyNRG) argued for broad SAF coverage, while Aurelia Leeuw (SASHA Coalition) and Camille Mutrelle (Aviation Policy Officer) pushed for restricting to e-kerosene. Geographic scope also split speakers: some favored an EU-wide system, others an EEA-only or global system, with Kai Tegethoff (Greens/EFA) warning of fraud risks.
Investment and physical uptake
Johan Danielsson (S&D) and others linked book and claim to double-sided auctions and ETS support, while Camille Mutrelle cautioned it alone cannot unlock e-SAF investments. Florian Westermair (Munich Airport) supported book and claim as complementary, while Aurelia Leeuw wanted it temporary to avoid permanent artificial markets. Regulatory alignment was flagged by Jeannette Baljeu (Renew) and others, with Daniel Chereau noting fragmentation across Commission services.
Consensus emerged on the need for a robust digital registry, alignment between ReFuelEU Aviation and EU ETS, and maintaining SAF targets. Next steps: the committee will consider the hearing inputs for potential legislative proposals. Affected stakeholders include airlines, fuel suppliers, airports, and SAF producers.