WRITTEN QUESTION E-0260/00

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(7 February 2000)

Subject: Combating alcohol consumption by pilots in civil aviation

1. Is the Commission aware of the incident which occurred at Schiphol airport, the Netherlands, on 15 January 2000, when a pilot with Royal Air Maroc, who was on the point of departing for Tangiers with 125 passengers on board, was intercepted at the last moment, whereupon tests indicated that he had a blood alcohol level of 0,22 %, whereas the penalties in force are a fine and a temporary ban from flying for 0,02 % (equivalent to less than a single glass) and withdrawal of a pilot's licence for 0,06 %?

2. Is the Commission aware, furthermore, of the articles Piloten geregeld controleren op alcoholgebruik (Regular checks on pilots' alcohol consumption) and Brevet dronken vlieger ten onrechte niet ingetrokken (Drunken pilot's licence not withdrawn, due to error) which appeared in two Dutch newspapers, De Volkskrant and Trouw respectively, on 17 January 2000?

3. How often have such incidents occurred in the past five years when aircraft visited airports within the European Union?

4. Does the Commission agree that it is unacceptable that such incidents should still be possible at European airports?

5. Do adequate rules currently already exist within the European Union regarding checks on the alcohol consumption of flight staff? What effective measures exist to monitor compliance with them?

6. What further measures ought to be taken to ensure that:

(a) In principle, flight staff are checked at all airports?

(b) These checks are carried out regularly and at random?

(c) The checks comply with international standards?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(4 April 2000)

The Commission is aware of the incident which occurred at Schiphol airport in January 2000, though it obviously cannot be familiar with every publication relating to checks on alcohol consumption by pilots.

There is no Community legislation at present regarding checks on alcohol consumption by aircraft pilots. Permitted blood alcohol levels vary from one Member State to another, as do the consequences of exceeding those levels. As for checks on the blood alcohol level of pilots, the information available does not point to any national measures imposing systematic or statistical checks.

The Commission is therefore unable to provide details of the frequency of such incidents.

Like the Honourable Member, the Commission believes such incidents to be unacceptable, as they have a direct impact on air transport safety.

Accordingly, on 24 March 2000, the Commission adopted a proposal for a regulation which encompasses this issue, introducing common rules for the issuing of air operator certificates and rules governing commercial carriage by plane. The proposal establishes the responsibilities of the crew i.e. pilots and other crew members and lays down rules including a ban on the consumption of alcohol less than eight hours before the flight duty period and a ban on commencing flight duty with a blood alcohol level greater than 0,2 per thousand. Operators will have full responsibility for the proper application of these requirements and will be subject to checks by the national authorities.