American officials warned that the requirements probably would be illegal under the convention governing international civil aviation.  “The mandatory application of the European Emissions Trading System to U.S. airlines and airlines of other non-European countries is, we think, both contrary to international law and ultimately unworkable,” said Robert Gianfranceschi, a spokesman at the United States Mission to the European Union in Brussels.  The compromise was reached Thursday by representatives of the European Parliament and by European governments represented by Slovenia, which currently holds the revolving presidency. It states that Europe “should continue to seek an agreement on global measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation,” according to a copy of the text seen by The International Herald Tribune.  The proposal still needs the approval of the European Parliament and individual countries. But people involved in the negotiations said those steps were likely to be a formality, given the political agreement.  Including airlines is also a victory for European regulators, who are seeking to include more polluters in the system. That could help blunt criticism by those who see the European Union as unfairly targeting heavy industry. The carbon trading market, which was started in 2005, caps the overall amount of pollution emitted by industries like electric utilities and steel makers.  The transport association spokesman, Mr. Concil, said the costs to the airline industry of buying permits to comply with European emissions regulations would be more than $4 billion. Imposing new, costly rules on airlines was “incredible” at a time when the industry is expected to lose more than $6.1 billion this year, he said.  Opponents argued that the plan would be an ineffective regional effort tackle a problem that requires a global solution. European airlines and charter companies also have said they would be at disadvantage to overseas competitors that operate fewer European routes.  Giovanni Bisignani, the director general of transport association, took out full-page advertisements in newspapers this week calling the plans “crazy” and saying that support for the proposals by governments meant that they had “lost the plot.”  Mr. Bisignani said that the aviation industry was already doing enough to reduce its carbon footprint by investing in new technology and using less fuel. He said negotiations on the creation of an emissions trading program for the world’s airlines should be conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations body.  The European Commission, Europe’s executive arm, which first proposed the rules, has said a global deal would take too long. European officials are determined to put forward their own plans, which would cover the emissions from aircraft flying both legs of journeys to and from major destinations like London, Paris and Frankfurt.  Even so, the agreement reached Thursday reduced the chances of international disagreement, said one person closely involved in the negotiations. He would not be identified in order to allow European governments to make an official announcement about the accord.  He said that if other countries introduced approximately similar measures, Europe would drop its jurisdiction covering emissions on flights leaving countries like the United States, to avoid double regulation.  Most of the initial permits would be allocated to airlines by the European authorities, but airlines would be obliged to buy 15 percent in auctions. A decision on whether airlines would be obliged to buy more permits in later years could be made in coming months, he said.  A version of this article appears in print on , on Page C4 of the New York edition with the headline: Europe Tells Airlines to Pay for Emissions. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
The European Union reached a landmark agreement Thursday to cap emissions from aircraft, raising the stakes in a battle with the United States over how to regulate greenhouse gases.