Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2004-03-31-Speech-3-294"
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"en.20040331.15.3-294"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the EU Transport Ministers finally agreed on a Common Position on the reform of the Slot Regulation at the end of last year. I say 'finally' because Parliament had waited for more than one and a half years. Nonetheless, the Common Position takes into account many, although not all, of Parliament's amendments. Let me give you some examples.
Firstly, the coordinator's independence remains untouched. In this context, we felt it was important to ensure a separation between coordinators and any individual party, to guarantee coordinators' financial independence, and above all to protect coordinators from claims for damages. The Council took up this issue. Coordinators are protected from claims for damages, except in cases of gross negligence or wilful misconduct. This ensures their independence and means that they are not susceptible to undue financial pressure.
At the same time, the coordinators' powers to impose penalties in the event of misuse of slots have been expanded. The most important advance for the future is, of course, the Transport Ministers' recognition of the new definition of slots as usage rights. This change in the system is essential, in my view, also for the second phase of the future Slot Regulation.
The Council also followed our decision and has maintained flexibility and planning certainty for airlines. For example, the re-timing of grandfather rights continues to be possible, either for operational reasons or if re-timing of a series of slots brings the operator closer into line with the slots originally applied for. Here, we believe, the Commission was too restrictive. In addition, the range of exemptions to the 'use-it-or-lose-it' rule has been broadened. Now, unforeseeable events, such as 11 September, and unavoidable circumstances outside the air carrier's control do not lead to the withdrawal of a slot.
These few examples show that from Parliament's perspective – from our perspective – we have achieved a great deal. We therefore intend to, and should, vote for the Common Position without amendment so that the Regulation can finally be adopted.
One point is of major importance to me, and that is the famous Article 8a of the Regulation, which deals with slot mobility. Here, the Transport Ministers deleted the prohibition of slot trading. This means that there is still a black hole in the Regulation into which slots disappear. It means that slots will continue to be traded in an untransparent and uneven way – not only at Heathrow. This is an untenable situation for the internal market. I therefore urge the Commission to present a new proposal before the end of the year. This proposal must set clear and transparent rules for slot trading on a Europe-wide basis. Only then will the reform of the slot allocation system genuinely be complete.
I would like to thank all my fellow Members for their good cooperation."@en1
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