6.7.92 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC169/13
Opinionon:
—theproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)amendingRegulation (EEC)No3975/87
layingdowntheprocedurefortheapplicationoftherulesoncompetitiontoundertakings
intheairtransportsector,and
—theproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)amendingRegulation (EEC)No3976/87
ontheapplicationofArticle85(3)oftheTreatytocertaincategoriesofagreementsand
concertedpracticesintheairtransportsector(*)
(92/C169/05)
On26August1991theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle87oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,onthe
abovementioned proposals.
TheSectionforTransportandCommunications ,whichwasresponsibleforpreparingthe
Committee'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon9April1992.TheRapporteurwas
MrBleser.
Atits296thPlenarySession(meetingof29April1992)theEconomicandSocialCommittee
adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.TheCommissionproposal
1.1.TheCommission'spowerstoenforcethecom­
petitionrulesintheairtransportsectorareconfinedby
CouncilRegulation (EEC)No3975/87tointernational
transportbetweenMemberStates.
1.1.1.Initsjudgementof11April1989inthe'Ahmed
Saeed'case,theCourtofJusticeconfirmeditsJudge­
mentinthe'NouvellesFrontieres'caseinrespectofthe
applicationofArticle85andruledthatArticle86was
directlyapplicablebynationalcourts.Thejudgement
meansthat,whereadominantairlinesucceeds,other
thanbynormalcompetitivemeans,ineliminatingcom­
petition,evenonadomesticoronaCommunity/third­
countryroute,suchbehaviourisanabusecontraryto
Article86.onesingleMemberStatearealsotobecoveredbythe
Regulation .
1.2.Regulation (EEC)No3976/87empowersthe
Commissiontoadopt,foralimitedperiod,anumber
ofgroupexemptionstothecompetitionrulessothat
aircarrierscangraduallyadjusttoamorecompetitive
environment .
1.2.1.OnthatbasistheCommissionhasadopted
threeRegulationsongroundhandlingservices,com­
puterreservationsystems,andjointplanningandcoor­
dinationofcapacity(2).
1.2.2.Experiencehasshownthatthesegroupexemp­
tionssatisfyagenuineneedforlegalcertaintyamong
aircarriersandothermarketoperators,whilealso
providinganincentivetoabandonearliermorerestric­
tiveagreements .ItisforthisreasonthattheCom­
missionisproposingthatthegroupexemptionsbe
renewedbyandlarge,subjecttosomewhattighter
conditions;thishasbeenmadedesirablebytheprogress
achievedincreatingamorecompetitiveenvironment .
1.2.3.TheCommissionthusproposesthatthe
CounciladoptaRegulationamendingRegulation
(EEC)No3976/87asfollows:
1)theRegulationistoapplytodomesticflightswithin
onesingleMemberStatetoo;
2)theRegulationistobevalidindefinitely;
3)thepossibilityofanexemptionforjointoperations
betweenairlinesistobeprovidedfor;
4)astandardclause(newArt.3)istobeincluded
onthedurationandreviewoftheCommission's
implementingRegulations .1.1.2.InrespectofbothdomesticandofEC/third­
countryairtransport,theCommissioncurrentlyhasno
powertograntexemptionsunderArticle85(3)orto
usenormalprocedurestoruleonabusesofdominant
positionsunderArticle86.Becauseofthisthereisa
gooddealofuncertaintyamongaircarriers,whodo
notknowwhatpracticesandarrangementstheymay
legitimatelyengageinonsuchroutes.
1.1.3.Therefore,theCommission ismakinganew
proposaltodeletetheprovisionslimitingtheRegu­
lation'sscopetointernationaltransportwithinthe
Community ;inotherwords,domesticflightswithin
(2)OJNoL10,15.1.1991,p.7. HOJNoC225,30.8.1991,p.9,10.

NoC169/14 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 6.7.92
2.Generalcomments
2.1.Intherun-uptothecompletionoftheinternal
marketinthefieldofairtransport,theCommittee
approvestheproposeddeletionof'international'in
Articles1ofRegulations (EEC)Nos3975/87and3976/
87,therebypermittingtheapplicationofthecompe­
titionrulesinaccordancewithTreatyArticles85and
86.
2.2.However,theCommitteewouldaddthatithas
deliveredanOpinionontheapplicationofcompetition
rulestoairtransport(!)whichhasnotyetbeenenacted.
TheCommitteewouldreiteratethecommentsmadein
thatOpinion.
2.3.AlthoughtheCommission'sapproachispartof
acoherentCommunitypolicy,theCommitteefears
thatapolicyconfinedtotheinternalmarketwillbe
counteredbytheairtransportpolicyadoptedtowards
thirdcountries.
3.Specificcomments
3.1.Itisimportantforundertakingsintheair-trans­
portsectortohaveareliablebasisfortheircalculations
atalltimesbyknowinghowtheystandinthelong
termwithregardtogroupexemptions .3.2.ThismeansthattheRegulationcannotbelim­
itedintimeinArticle3.Instead,thegroupexemptions
mustbevalidindefinitely .
Ifsoundreasonsemergeduringtheunlimitedlifetime
ofagroupexemptionwhichmakeitnecessarytoamend
theRegulationwithinasuitableperiodoftime,this
canalsobedonewithoutputtingatime-limitonthe
Regulation .However,theRegulationshouldnotbe
amendedforthesereasonswithintenyears.
3.3.Article2(2)
Secondindent
Theterm'freight'ismissingintheGermanversionof
theCommissiondocument .
Thirdindent
Thegroupexemptionshouldbeextendedtorouteson
whichthereislittletraffic.
Fourthindent
Tobeaddedto,inkeepingwiththeCodeofConduct
adoptedbytheCouncil.
3.4.Article3
Tobeadaptedinaccordancewiththecommentsunder
3.1and3.2. (»)OJNoC41,18.2.1991,p.44.
DoneatBrussels,29April1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
MichaelGEUENICH