If they wish to charge this tax while aircraft are in EU airspace, I see no other option but to pay. But outside, get serious.
I agree with you Con Pilot - and I'm a 'European' (apparently)
We all need some kind of a level playing field - keeping operators and the tree huggers happy. How the powers that be have gone about this is not the way. What we can't have is the European operators paying and the rest of the world not. Scrap the idea and put it down to a bad experience, just like the Euro!