02/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 2 September, the European Parliament transport committee adopted the report by Christine de Veyrac (EPP, France) approving the first reading agreement with the Council on the draft regulation on investigation and prevention of civil aviation accidents and incidents (see EUROPE 10009). The agreement extends the scope of the text which will henceforth govern safety investigations after serious accidents and incidents involving any type of civil aircraft. It clarifies relations between judicial and safety investigations (technical investigators will have immediate and unlimited access to evidence) and guarantees considerable rights to families of victims (possible identification of the contact person when the tickets was reserved, information on progress in the investigation, possibility of keeping confidential the presence on board of a person). It requires member states to have an emergency plan in the event of accidents. Voting on the text will take place in the plenary session at the end of September (20-23/9). The Council confirmed its position on 30 June. (A.By./transl.rt)