WRITTEN QUESTION E-0515/00

by Christoph Konrad (PPE-DE) to the Council

(25 February 2000)

Subject: Creation of a single European (controlled) airspace

1. On 1 December 1999 the Commission adopted a communication (COM(1999) 0614) on the creation of the single European sky, in which it advocates the joint management of airspace. What political steps does the Council intend to take to cope with the exponential increase in the volume of air traffic, the attendant delays and the absence of coordination of air traffic control services?

2. Over half of these delays are due to air traffic control, for which each country bears sole responsibility in Europe. What practical action does the Council intend to take to bring about the urgently needed harmonisation of the fragmented nature of the European control system under the umbrella of a single administration? (British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa, among others, have called on their respective transport ministers to take such action.)

3. When will the Council of Transport Ministers consider the Commission's proposals on the EU's accession to Eurocontrol, the intergovernmental European air traffic control organisation that operates on the basis of consensus, and what timetable is envisaged for achieving this accession?

4. Are there any plans to create for the control of European airspace within the EU a new structure empowered to issue uniform and binding regulations, rather than having the EU join Eurocontrol? If so, what form will this new structure take, and what powers will it have?

Reply

(29 September 2000)

In its Resolution of 19 July 1999(1), the Council had the opportunity to point out that delays in air traffic affect the efficiency of air transport in the Community, which causes serious problems for passengers and could increase pressure on the environment. In particular, the Council invited the Commission to submit a communication on recent and ongoing measures aimed at reducing air traffic delays and congestion in Europe so as to enable the Council to evaluate the impact of such measures and decide, if necessary, on new initiatives to be taken.

At the beginning of December 1999 and in response to this invitation, the Commission presented a communication on the creation of the single European sky. At its meeting on 9 and 10 December 1999, the Council welcomed the action to be taken following this communication and took note of the setting up by the Commission of a high level group to examine all relevant issues. The Commission, at the Transport Council on 28 March 2000, presented some preliminary information on the proceedings of the high level group. The Council received an interim report from the chairman of that group at the beginning of June, and the Commission has stated its intention of working on the presentation of the final report in October 2000.

Concerning the accession of the Community to Eurocontrol (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation) and considering the role of this organisation in the field of air traffic management in Europe, the Council invited Member States to make every effort to reach a positive conclusion to the ongoing negotiations. These negotiations are at a very advanced stage.

Furthermore, the setting up an European Aviation Safety Authority is currently under study. The main objective is to achieve a high uniform level of safety in Europe by the formulation, approval and uniform application of all necessary aviation safety regulations and by promoting them throughout the world. Such an Authority would have to deal with the facilitation of free and fair competition in Europe and the mutual recognition and equal treatment of aeronautical products, parts and equipment and of bodies and persons concerned with the design, manufacture, maintenance and operation of products on the conditions and in accordance with a time schedule to be established upon the creation of the new Authority.

(1) OJ C 222, 4.8.1999, p. 1.