Brussels, 11/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council of Ministers is actively examining the airport package proposed by the Commission at the end of last year. The revision of the hourly slots will be by far the most controversial proposal of the next few months. It will be left up to Cyprus to attempt to unravel this issue during its presidency but member states' concerns are already quite apparent on the issue. Member states will not see very positively the revision of the slot use threshold from 80 to 85% as a means of protecting slot allocations, and neither will they approve of the increased length of slot series.
A general approach was already obtained on the airport package with regard to the baggage handling aspect of the proposal during the Transport Council on 22 March. It is highly likely that a general approach will be obtained on the “noise pollution” aspect at the end of the Danish presidency at the Transport Council on 7 June. There is now only the issue of the “hourly slots” to rectify in order for a general approach to be obtained but this will not occur before the autumn. The Cypriot presidency objective is to reach consensus on the subject at the end of the Transport Council on 26 October. Nikolas Lyrakides, in charge of transport issues at the Permanent Representation of Cyprus to the EU, is likely to facilitate the debates on this. He has already outlined the stumbling blocks mentioned by member states to the Commission proposal, during a hearing focusing on hourly slots and organised at the European Parliament by the ALDE Group on Wednesday 11 April.
So far, the EU 27 appear to approve of the Commission initiative on rethinking how plane take-offs and landings are organised, in an effort to maximise airport use and capacity. Nonetheless, they have doubts about the proposed revision to the minimum hourly slot use from 80 to 85%, as well as increased slot series, which will be expected to increase from 5 to 10 for the winter season and up to 15 for the summer season. It is also unlikely that they will be convinced by the introduction of the airport network concept.
In the context of setting up a second slot exchange market, which word definitively approve of a practice already in operation in certain airports, the EU 27 would like to see a cautious approach adopted. They are largely wary about the trend towards “overregulation” and Commission intervention that fails to introduce any added value.
During the hearing, the aviation industry, represented by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), provided similar criticism, particularly with regard to the 85% figure and the increase in slot series. On the other hand, the comments provided by other actors, such as airport representatives and the Airport Council (ACI Europe), were much more moderate and generally in favour of the Commission proposals.
The hearing was organised on the initiative of Giommaria Uggias (ALDE, Italy), rapporteur on this legislation, and was organised as a means of gathering in the different points of view from the stakeholders and subsequently helping to clarify matters for parliamentarians in their debates. These debates are expected to begin in May.
As opposed to the Council, which is carrying out negotiations on each different chapter in the proposal, the Parliament will work on the entire package, explained Brian Simpson (S&D, United Kingdom), the chair of the parliamentary committee in charge of transport and tourism. (MD/transl.fl)