GLOBAL airlines have sought a U.N.-brokered deal to prevent a trade conflict over aviation emissions between China and the European Union .The call by the head of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) comes amid signs that the EU may be willing to soften a unilateral stance that could jepardise efforts to resolve Europe's sovereign debt crisis with Chinese support.In an interview, IATA Director General Tony Tyler said that the airlines industry had become wedged between conflicting domestic laws after China ordered its airlines not to join the EU's compulsory market-based system for regulating airline emissions.

EU's cap-and-trade scheme has already been facing competition from the chinese industry.The row that is now hitting different levels could adversely affect the process of finding a remedy to Europe's sovereign debt crisis.By banning its airlines last week from co-operating, China hardened its stance just ahead of a February 14 Beijing summit at which the EU will seek Chinese help to ease its debt crisis. What is essential at the moment is to find a formula to tackle aircraft fumes that criss-cross international frontiers.ICAO has already made efforts to step in to solve the issue at a time when the industry is struggling to escape the affetcs from high oil prices and the economic uncertainty surrounding Europe's debt crisis.