Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-11-Speech-4-044"
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"en.20071011.4.4-044"2
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"Thank you, Mr President. Obviously I have listened very carefully to everything that has been said. I would first like to thank Mrs Jensen sincerely for her report; I see that it has earned a great deal of support from the House. Mrs Jensen, we will use your observations, which I found extremely interesting, to best advantage.
Some of you asked me about ground handling. Obviously today, as Mr Jarzembowski said, we cannot commit a new directive to cover ground handling services, since we have not yet received the impact analysis, and we prefer to focus on applying the existing Directive. We are therefore focusing on monitoring proper application of the existing Directive. In relation to the new Member States, we have requested precise information on an airport-by-airport basis in relation to the number of providers, their dependence on the airport and the conditions for the award of contracts, and if we are not satisfied with the replies we can always invoke the infringement proceedings that apply in such cases. I must also say that, if we were in fact compelled to change this directive on ground handling services, we would pay close attention to the social effects of changes to the rules.
Some mention has also been made – by your Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs – of the need for better use of infrastructures at night with quieter planes. I would be tempted to say yes, but in the medium and long term. We have not come that far yet.
I wish to finish by mentioned the environmental problems: as air traffic develops we must evidently do all we can to ensure that it does not impede our fight against global warming. This is why Europe has adopted quite an avant-garde approach by supporting the idea of making air transport join the emissions trading system. As far as airport infrastructures are concerned, we are also worried about all the problems that may be caused here, particularly the nuisance value for local residents and noise levels.
Mr President, such a productive debate has not enabled me to find answers for everything but, as a number of speakers said, obviously Mrs Jensen’s report forms an excellent basis on which to build. I will follow Parliament’s requests with great interest in an attempt to provide an appropriate response. I might also say that in any case I am glad to have worked in close cooperation with the EP for the benefit of our citizens.
I wish to add that, as a number of speakers said, air transport is developing at a rapid pace, and even though in certain cases high-speed rail transport may take up part of the market share, air transport is a means of travel that will continue to evolve in years to come: I think that this is certainly the case. We must, then, go along with this development in air transport, and actually increasingly adapt it to the needs and wishes of users.
I would also say that in the main the entire problem of better adaptation of airport infrastructures to our needs depends on three issues. The first issue is obviously the infrastructure. Evidently, Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I cannot let it be said that the solution is to centralise. It is not a matter of centralising, but rather of coordinating and exchanging good practices. I think all this is essential for all our citizens, and so we must make an attempt to optimise use of existing infrastructures before we can think of new investment. What we need is better coordination and, Mr President, I wish to thank the various committees that delivered an opinion on this matter: the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on Regional Development, and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. I feel that all of their contributions shed some much-needed light on the report.
The first issue, then, is infrastructure.
The second, as Mrs Ayala rightly stressed, is the use of satellite navigation technology, the modernisation of air traffic control, and this is essential. If we have functional groups for air traffic control, we will actually have a chance of reducing delays and planes going round and round in the sky unable to land. This second issue is extremely important.
The third concerns ground handling services, which must be effective and productive.
On the basis of these three issues, we must try to optimise the facilities connected with air transport, which is a rapidly developing sector.
I intend to answer a few questions, Mr President, and I do apologise for not answering them all. I wish to reply to Mr Bradbourn’s question on data. Concerning the tags: use of these is restricted to the terminal area, there is no recording of data and, most importantly, the tags are used in full compliance with the common rules governing the protection of personal information. There is no question of creating an exception to these rules.
In relation to your Committee on Regional Development, Mr Janowski, obviously major hubs cannot grow infinitely. What is required is better use of existing capacities. The role of regional airports will be enhanced. You also insisted, and rightly so, on airport connections in their own region, their ‘interland’, through a number of rapid means of transport, especially rail transport."@en1
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