WRITTEN QUESTION No. 597/98 by Panayotis LAMBRIAS to the Commission. Civil aviation in the European Union
Date: 1998-03-04
Institutions: European Parliament, LAMBRIAS
Subjects: air space, air transport, civil aviation, competitiveness, international transport, liberalisation of the market, restriction on competition, single market

C 354/10

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

19. 11. 98

(98/C 354/14)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0597/98

by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission

(4 March 1998)

Subject: Civil aviation in the European Union

On  27  January  1998  the  Forum  Europe  organized  a  conference  in  Brussels  entitled  (cid:145)Meeting  the  Global
Challenge › the Outlook for Civil Aviation in the EU(cid:146). Will the Commission give its views on the tendencies and
views  expressed  at  this  conference,  and  say  whether  it  considers  that  there  is  any  scope  for  taking  measures
aimed at strengthening Community policy in this area?

Answer given by Mr Kinnock on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 1998)

The conference mentioned by the Honourable Member focused on the issue of globalisation in air transport and
its consequences for civil aviation in the Community.

The  Commission  recognises  the  need  to  have  a  regulatory  structure  adapted  to  the  needs  of  globalised  civil
aviation.

Since 1987, three packages of liberalisation measures have gradually created a single aviation market within the
Community  which  offers  Community  airlines  a  strong  basis  for  the  development  of  a  world-wide  strategy.
However, globalisation requires that the Community adopts an effective external policy in order to ensure that
Community  carriers,  as  well  as  consumers,  can  take  the  fullest  possible  advantage  of  the  new  competitive
environment while ensuring safety and fair competition.

The Commission is developing such a policy in negotiating the establishment of a European common aviation
area  with  ten  central  European  countries.  It  has  also  submitted  to  the  Council  a  proposal  for  a  decision (1)
authorising the Commission to open negotiations for an agreement with the United States on the creation of a
transatlantic  common  aviation  area.  The  granting  of  such  a  mandate,  which  is  still  under  discussion  in  the
Council, would constitute an important step in the development and implementation of an effective common
external  aviation  policy  in  line  with  the  globalisation  of  the  industry  and  it  would  serve  the  interests  of  the
Community and its Member States, airlines and people.

(1)  SEC(97) 2053 final.

(98/C 354/15)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0598/98

by Panayotis Lambrias (PPE) to the Commission

(4 March 1998)

Subject: Toxic pollution in the Aegean from industrial plants situated on its eastern shores

According  to  data  from  the  UN(cid:146)s  Mediterranean  Action  Programme  (UNEP  1997)  and  the  relevant  OECD
reports, vast amounts of industrial waste are being dumped into the Aegean. This pollution is caused by hundreds
of  industrial  plants  on  the  Turkish  coast  which  refuse  to  comply  with  international  rules  on  pollution:  they
constitute a sort of toxic time-bomb which threatens the ecological balance of the region as a whole.

Will  the  Commission  say  what  measures  it  intends  to  take  to  address  this  problem  which  will  inflict
environmental and economic disaster on a vital region of the European Union?

Answer given by Mr Van den Broek on behalf of the Commission

(22 April 1998)

The  Commission  is  aware  of  problems  relating  to  the  environment  in  Turkey.  The  resolution  of  the
Community-Turkey  Association  Council  of  6  March  1995  provided  for  cooperation  on  this  with  Turkey  to
commence in order to step up efforts to combat the deterioration of the environment.