Council Resolution of 19 July 1999 on the situation of air traffic delays in Europe
Date: 1999-07-19
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Europe, air space, air traffic, air traffic control, transport regulations

4.8.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 222/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 19 July 1999

on the situation of air traffic delays in Europe

(1999/C 222/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Whereas:

(1) the single European market requires a properly functioning
air transport system to ensure the mobility of the citizens;
this mobility is necessary in the interest of the economic
competitiveness of the Community;

(2) the air transport industry itself is an important economic
factor in the Community; a good, reliable and efficient air
the
transport
Community and its citizens, as
to
contribute to the creation of new jobs;

to the wealth of

system contributes

it will continue

(3) the proper functioning of the air transport system requires
appropriate infrastructure and air space capacity to be
provided in a coordinated and consistent way;

(4) Eurocontrol has the primary coordination role in the field
of air traffic management in Europa and should become
the primary policymaker in this field with the accession of
the Community;

(5) air space users should also contribute to the efficient use of

the air space capacity,

and

the situation in air traffic delays is of serious
NOTES that
concern
of
Community air transport, and also causes great inconvenience
to the air travellers and may cause an additional burden on the
environment,

undermines

efficiency

that

this

the

NOTES that all Member States support the plans of Eurocontrol
to achieve a demand-oriented air traffic management capacity,
subject
to be
to environmental constraints and in order
compatible with the sustainable development of transport,

RECALLS its Resolutions of:

(cid:151) 18 July 1989 on air traffic system capacity problems,

(cid:151) 22 January 1990 on a European infrastructure,

(cid:151) 17 November 1995 on problems caused by congestion and

crisis situations in air traffic in Europe,

which encourage and reinforce the action of Eurocontrol,

RECALLS its Decision of 20 July 1998 which authorises the
Commission to enter into negotiations with the Contracting
Parties of Eurocontrol with a view to the Community’s
accession to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air
Navigation (Eurocontrol) on the basis of a Protocol pursuant to
Article 40 of the revised Eurocontrol Convention,

the measures

WELCOMES
consideration by
planning and the efficiency of air
Europe,

Eurocontrol

currently employed and under
forward
in

traffic management

to improve

the

level.

INVITES all Member States,
in view of the current situation
regarding delays in air traffic, to pursue and intensify their
action at national
Invites those who are members of
Eurocontrol to ensure that the provisional Council of Euro-
control organises its work to closely follow the situation
during the coming summer season; and, invites them, within
this organisation, to profit in advance from the benefits of the
revision of the Convention and to increase the effectiveness of
Eurocontrol,

INVITES the Commission

(cid:151) to submit to the Council

in 1999 a communication on
recent and ongoing measures aimed at reducing air traffic
delays and congestion in Europe, so as to enable the
Council
such actions and
decide, if necessary, on new initiatives to be taken,

to evaluate the impact of

(cid:151) to propose adequate measures such as the systematic publi-
cation of punctuality indicators to continue to keep the
public informed about developments in this field where
they are not yet carried out,

AGREES to return to the issue of air traffic delays in Europe
before the end of the year 1999.