Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-03-13-Speech-2-059"
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"en.20070313.7.2-059"2
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".
Madam President, for the moment, air traffic between the US and the EU, the world’s two largest markets and together accounting for 60% of all global flight movements, is being regulated in bilateral open skies treaties. Most Member States have concluded a separate regulation of this type with the US. With the agreement that was concluded on 2 March last, these bilateral treaties will cease to exist indefinitely. This represents an enormous step forward, which I very much welcome. After all, these bilateral agreements form a barrier to free competition if take-off and landing rights are reserved for national airline companies, something which does not benefit industry, let alone the consumer.
This is also how the Court judged back in 2002. And now, following years of negotiations, a reasonably balanced agreement is finally in place – not a perfect one, but a reasonable one nevertheless. I should hope, then, that the Council will lend its approval to this agreement as soon as possible, that is to say during the meeting of 22 March next.
I consider the objections, lodged mainly by the United Kingdom, as not very constructive. Protecting your own market in 2007 is an impertinence and is far removed from the European idea. What is clear is that the new legal framework for transatlantic air transport will benefit the aviation industry, the consumer and employment too. Moreover, it offers our European airline companies the all-important legal certainty that they so desperately need.
As I said a moment ago, the proposal is not perfect. To this day, the US is using arguments such as safety and security to thwart the negotiations with regard to cabotage, as a result of which no progress has been made in that area. Moreover, the possibility for airline companies from the EU to monitor US airline companies effectively is still restricted, despite extensive provisions of ownership. Protecting our own market under the guise of safety and security makes no sense and is, as far as I am concerned, an admission of weakness.
At the same time, Commissioner, I am optimistic about the future, for the new framework does, after all, provide for a binding time schedule for a second agreement in which these restrictions will be retabled. If the US continues to refuse future concessions, the EU must stand firm. This is what, above all else, must be made clear to the Americans.
I am indebted to the Commissioner and his team for their resolve, and I hope that we will see more of it in future. I should also like to thank our rapporteur, Mr El Khadraoui, for his drive and current input with regard to the resolution on which we will be voting tomorrow."@en1
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