Brussels, 27/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner for Transport Siim Kallas is happy with developments in the EU's relations with China as regards aviation. He stated this on his Twitter account on Monday 26 August, saying that negotiators had recently been working hard on this subject. Indeed, a Chinese delegation, led by the head of Chinese civil aviation, travelled to Brussels for a series of high-level meetings last week, including with the director of the European Commission's DG Move, Mathias Ruete.
From a source close to the issue, this was to discuss the benefits of an air agreement between the EU and China, along the lines of the agreement with the USA. The discussions with the Commission are due to be progressed in the first part of next year. Nevertheless, it will be up to the Council whether or not to grant a true negotiating mandate thereafter.
Other more technical areas of cooperation were also tackled, such as air traffic safety and management. China is facing similar challenges to those of the European air space in terms of congestion and growth. It would appear that a framework to look at the establishment of such cooperation was set up at the end of these meetings.
Lastly, China will produce a transporter by 2016 and would like to have it approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency in order to be able to market it in Europe too.
The issue of the emissions trading system (ETS) was also vaguely tackled, but without this interfering in the resolve for collaboration between China and the EU on their air relations, the same source stated. (MD/transl.fl)