Brussels, 25/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - EU transport ministers are ready to undo the European Commission's ambitions on allocating take off and landing slots, in the general approach that the ministers should adopt at the beginning of next week. This section of the airports package will by far be the most difficult to conclude at the Transport Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 29 October. Other files will also be on the negotiating table - tachographs, the responsibilities of flag states, agreement with Eurocontrol, discussions on roadworthiness tests for vehicles and the Connecting Europe Facility.
Backwash on air slots. The Council is preparing to considerably weaken the Commission's initiative to reduce the capacity problems of airports in Europe. On Monday, the EU27 will bring out a last general approach on the take-off and landing slots allocated to airlines by airports. This is the third and last section of the airport package, alongside the noise disturbance and stopover services chapters.
A large majority of member states apparently want to keep the current system of granting air slots to airline companies. On Monday they should therefore oppose the Commission's proposal which wants to change this system by raising the minimum rate at which carriers must effectively have used the slots allocated from the current 80% to 85%, and the minimum number of slots to be requested for the same time on the same day of the week from the current 5 to 15 for the summer season and 10 for the winter season. The Transport Council fears that such changes may encourage air companies to fly empty planes. They want more margin for manoeuvre for the carriers. However the Commission is likely to still insist firmly on its initiative on Monday. A source close to the commissioner for transport, Siim Kallas, does not exclude however that the negotiation may fail and that the general approach itself be postponed until the Irish Presidency next year.
The transport ministers on the other hand are apparently ready to subscribe to the idea of the Commission authorising a secondary market in order to allow airlines to trade air slots. This purchase and re-sale system is already applied informally at Heathrow Airport in London. But the Transport Council would apparently not be unanimous on this. If some delegations insist on the rules of the game being fair, others - with France in the lead - apparently want the secondary market to be accompanied by justified restrictions, especially to ensure the continuity of regional flights.
General approach on maritime sector. The Transport Council is due to bring out a second general approach, this time in the maritime sector, which the Cypriot Presidency has not hesitated to describe as much less controversial. It will focus on a revision of the directives on the responsibilities of flag states and on port state control, and on the application of the Maritime Labour Convention. The Maltese delegation could apparently ask for some guarantees, but would not have any reservations. The Austrian delegation could apparently not give its agreement as the country does not have access to the sea.
Slight changes to the tachograph. The transport ministers are also due to give their political agreement to the text for the regulation on the tachograph - the equipment controlling the resting and driving time of professional drivers. This agreement would be along the lines of the general approach brought out in June, with a few changes taking up the amendments adopted by the European Parliament. The two institutions are already in contact informally on this in order to bring their positions closer together, especially on the question of the timetable for installing the digital tachograph on all heavy goods vehicles.
Enhanced cooperation with Eurocontrol. The Council is due to give its agreement to enhanced cooperation with Eurocontrol - the European organisation for the safety of air navigation. The agreement should set the limits in the areas of cooperation, avoiding doubling up work with the European air safety agency.
Roadworthiness tests and Connecting Europe Facility. The ministers will also hold a discussion over lunch on the revision proposed by the Commission of the rules on the roadworthiness test and on the Connecting Europe Facility (see other article). The discussion is likely to be consensual, the criticism with regard to the financial instrument for transport infrastructure coming mostly from ministers in charge of regional development because €10 billion will come from the Cohesion Funds.
Russia and ETS. Under miscellaneous points, the Commission will report on the recurrent problems with Russia (flying over Siberia, rail and road charges) and will give an update on the progress of the greenhouse gas emissions trading system (ETS) negotiations applied to aviation with a view to the next meeting of the international civil aviation authority (ICAO) on 14 November. (MD/transl.fl)