Brussels, 17/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - Following a series of emergency landings and other incidents during Ryanair flights in recent months (see EUROPE 10681), Madrid wishes to carry out more in-depth investigations into the safety of the Irish low-cost airline. Although the press this weekend reported the wishes of the Spanish Infrastructure Minister, Rafael Catala, to hold an emergency meeting with the Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, the Commission has denied that it has received any letter or official request from the Spanish authorities. The spokesperson to the Commissioner, Helen Kearns, did, however, confirm that informal contact had taken place, and that the Commission is prepared to “offer its assistance to allow an exchange of information between the Member States regarding incidents or events”. She pointed out that transparency is a vital factor in airline safety, and that “safety first” must remain the basic principle. The Commission is to receive a report on the investigations carried out by the Spanish and Irish authorities, but the spokesperson stressed that this is still a bilateral issue at this stage. Kearns also announced that the Commission was to present legislative proposals in December to reinforce exchanges of information between member states on the issue of aviation incidents and establish a pan-European database on air safety. (MD/transl.fl)