WRITTEN QUESTION No. 411/98 by Giuseppe RAUTI to the Commission. Safety regulations for flights over inhabited areas
Date: 1998-02-24
Institutions: European Parliament, RAUTI
Subjects: air safety, air traffic, civil aviation, competence of the Member States, military aircraft, national law, residential area, safety standard

21. 10. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 323/35

Furthermore, there is the need to respect the monopoly position enjoyed by pharmacies in some Member States
as regards the distribution of medicinal products to the general public, which the Court of Justice (4) has ruled to
be compatible with Community law.

It  is  therefore  up  to  Member  States  which  wish  to  prohibit  the  sale  of  medicines  via  the  Internet  to  take
appropriate  action  within  their  territory  to  ensure  that  the  relevant  Community  legislation  is  fully  applied.
Nonetheless, given the global nature of the Internet, the Commission does realise that this problem extends well
beyond  the  Community(cid:146)s  frontiers  and  can  therefore  only  be  effectively  resolved  by  means  of  increased
international  cooperation.  Against  this  background,  the  Commission  did  notably  take  part  in  the  meetings  at
which the Member States contributed to the draft resolution now approved by the 50th General Assembly of the
World Health Organisation (WHO).

(1)  OJ 22, 9.2.1965.
(2)  OJ L 113, 30.4.1992.
(3)  OJ L 144, 4.6.1997.
(4)  Case C-369/88, Delattre, [1991] ECR I-1487.

(98/C 323/43)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0411/98

by Giuseppe Rauti (NI) to the Commission

(24 February 1998)

Subject: Safety regulations for flights over inhabited areas

In the light of the disturbing facts emerging about the accident in the Italian Dolomites killing twenty Italian,
German, Belgian and Polish tourists and caused by an American aeroplane, in breach of all the safety regulations,
does the Commission intend to tighten up the safety regulations relating to low-level flights over inhabited areas?
In addition, can the Commission say whether those regulations must be deemed also to apply in their entirety to
military flights and training flights and to aircraft from the American military bases established throughout the
territory of the European Union?

Since there is a need to discuss this issue urgently will it be put on the agenda for the European Parliament(cid:146)s
part-session to be held in Strasbourg from 16 to 20 February 1998 (at which transport regulations are also due to
be discussed)?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(8 April 1998)

At present, the national civil aviation regulations of each Member State contain satisfactory rules governing the
minimum height with which civil aircraft must comply.

As far as military aircraft are concerned, different rules apply and special zones are usually devoted to low flying
exercises.

These rules and the designation of low flying zones also fall within the responsibility of the Member States.

There are, therefore, no current city rules concerning the minimum flying height above populated areas.

The  Honourable  Member  will  be  aware  that  Parliament  debated  this  issue  and  adopted  a  resolution  on
19 February 1998.