Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, we have reached the conclusion of a directive that has been in progress for years and that has actually always been disaster-driven. I hope that this is not the case for the future and the ultimate result. It was in 1996 that the Commission first submitted a proposal for a directive designed to improve the safety of aviation in our Community, to include aircraft from third countries. At the time the procedure could not be brought to a successful conclusion because of a dispute between the United Kingdom and Spain over Gibraltar. It was not therefore until after the disaster of 11 September 2001, when a crisis broke out in aviation, that everyone appreciated the fact that now they did have to set to work to guarantee safety and to reassure citizens. We then worked with all possible speed and following the first reading in Parliament on 3 September 2002 the Commission submitted an amended proposal on 26 November, which included 13 of the 19 amendments adopted by Parliament. That was not bad. The Council adopted its common position on this in June and Parliament concluded its second reading on 9 October with the adoption of five amendments. For example, concerning the requirements for the annual report, the power of the Commission to impose measures imposed by a Member State, such as denial of access to the territory or operational conditions for a company, and to extend them to the whole Community, and the speeding up of the implementation procedures. Then there came another disaster which moved things up a gear. This time it was the Flash Airlines accident, in which 149 people died at Sharm el-Sheikh. We were then very quickly able to hold a trialogue, at which the issue of transparency in particular, which was now also being raised in all circles and by public opinion, was discussed. We subsequently adopted a compromise Council proposal on condition that a few further changes would be made. Initially the Council was not very keen on this, but we were nonetheless able to bring the process to a successful conclusion and we are happy with that. There will be an annual report with aggregated data, which will contain all the information. At the insistence of Parliament the report will also be accessible to interested parties. It must also be simple and easy to understand and it must be made clear whether there is any question of an increased safety risk for travellers. We emphasised this sensitive point strongly. I am therefore pleased that the powers of the Commission with regard to States or companies failing to apply international safety standards have been significantly improved. According to the common position of the Council, there could however only be a question of recommendation. We have now however succeeded in substantially strengthening the powers of the Commission in this regard. We are pleased with the procedure that is being followed in this, because it is precisely this procedure that gives us the guarantee that it will be possible to work very clearly, transparently and in public. Of course we are not blind to the fact that the whole process is far from complete. I would remind the Commissioner of her own words in connection with charter companies. Often we do not know who is providing the air travel of travellers who have otherwise been informed of all the details of their journey. A further new initiative will be necessary here. I also think that we must take account of the comments of the people who are currently carrying out the SAFA procedure. I find them in a report on the Belgian aviation inspections according to the SAFA procedures. It is said in the report that we must not expect too much of them, because there is really too little time to carry out these inspections with any thoroughness and regularity. I therefore think that the further implementation of the procedure and the directive, and also the way in which the public and the persons concerned around the airports are informed and may be able to play a part in raising the alarm, will give rise to further refinement of the procedures. I hope that the other directives to be adapted will contain the same guarantees, so that this directive offers the full guarantee that all travellers boarding an aircraft, be it from a third country or from a Member State, have the same guarantees with regard to their safety. Political will is needed for this and, I hope, not new disasters.

Political group: Verts-ALE