Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2002-03-12-Speech-2-171"
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"en.20020312.9.2-171"2
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".
Mr President, I am pleased to announce to the House that the Commission has decided to propose to the Council and the European Parliament a Regulation on the adoption of legal measures to react against the unfair competition practiced by third-country air companies receiving State aid.
We have all seen over recent months how, owing to several different circumstances, third-country air companies have received large amounts of public subsidy which in many cases have been used to lower fares and create unfair competition on routes on which European Union air companies compete. This has created a legal vacuum which has placed our companies at an unfair advantage in comparison with the companies of third countries.
In order to provide ourselves with instruments which can allow us to defend and support our air sector, which is absolutely strategic for the European Union, we are going to propose, and today we have adopted, the proposed regulation on predatory practices within the framework of air transport services.
In the field of sea transport there is already legislation to combat charges which create unfair competition and in other areas, such as aid granted in the manufactured goods sector, we have other instruments. Ladies and gentlemen, all of this is for a very simple reason: because the air services sector is not included within the multilateral agreements of the World Trade Organisation.
In this regard, it is a question of establishing forms of compensation to counter the advantages that the use of this State aid or non-commercial advantages represent for these third-country companies to the detriment of our companies.
I believe that it is a balanced regulation which contains – as you will see when you analyse it – a definition of what its principles are, of what is meant by guaranteeing fair competition, of what is understood to be unfair charging practice and establishes a procedure which guarantees that in no event will there be either overcompensation nor advantageous actions. In this respect, by means of a complaint or simply as a matter of routine, it is proposed that the Commission should open an investigation to determine whether or not there is unfairness in the charges implemented by third companies, and, in accordance with the particular situation, there will either be an agreement with the country or with the relevant company, or, if not, measures may be taken, either provisional, for 6 months, or permanent, until such a time as there is a change by the relevant third countries or companies.
I believe that this is absolutely essential if we are to genuinely guarantee that we are going to prevent unfair competition and our air sector being affected by State aid or non-commercial advantages."@en1
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