IV
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. CON. RES. 187
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the European Council noise
rule affecting hushkitted and reengined aircraft.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 22, 1999
Mr. SHUSTER (for himself, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr.
GILMAN, and Mr. GEJDENSON) submitted the following concurrent reso-
lution; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, and in addition to the Committee on International Relations,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the European
Council noise rule affecting hushkitted and reengined
aircraft.
Whereas for more than 50 years, the International Civil Avia-
tion Organization (in this resolution referred to as the
‘‘ICAO’’) has been the single entity vested with authority
to establish international noise and emissions standards
and, through the ICAO’s efforts, aircraft noise has de-
creased by an average of 40 percent since 1970;
Whereas the ICAO is currently working on an expedited basis
on even more stringent international noise standards,
•HCON 187 IH
taking into account economic reasonableness, technical
feasibility, and environmental benefits;
Whereas international noise and emissions standards are crit-
ical to maintaining the economic viability of United
States aeronautical industries and to obtaining their on-
going commitment to progressively more stringent noise
reduction efforts;
Whereas European Council Regulation No. 925/1999, ban-
ning certain aircraft meeting the highest internationally
recognized noise standards from flying in Europe, under-
mines the integrity of the ICAO process and undercuts
the likelihood that new Stage 4 aircraft noise standards
will be developed;
Whereas while no regional standard is acceptable, European
Council Regulation No. 925/1999 is particularly offensive
because there is no scientific basis for the regulation and
because the regulation has been carefully crafted to pro-
tect European aviation interests while imposing arbitrary,
substantial, and unfounded cost burdens on United
States aeronautical industries;
Whereas the vast majority of aircraft that will be affected by
European Council Regulation No. 925/1999 are operated
by United States flag carriers; and
Whereas implementation of European Council Regulation No.
925/1999 will result in a loss of jobs in the United States
and may cost United States aeronautical industries in ex-
cess of $2,000,000,000: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
•HCON 187 IH
(1) if European Council Regulation No. 925/
1999 is not rescinded by the European Council at
the earliest possible date, the Secretary of Transpor-
tation should take all appropriate actions to ensure
that a petition regarding the regulation is filed with
the International Civil Aviation Organization pursu-
ant to Article 84 of the Chicago Convention; and
(2) the Secretaries of Commerce, State, and
Transportation and other appropriate parties should
use all reasonable means available to them to ensure
that the goal of having the regulation rescinded is
achieved.
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