Brussels, 09/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 December, the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, presented and defended the Aviation in Europe Strategy to MEPs before the transport and tourism committee of the European Pa rliament. The latter expressed their concerns about unfair practices and social dumping carried out by certain third countries in the aviation domain.
MEPs have concerns about the international competition and the substance of the negotiating mandate the Commission intends to ask the member states for. Ismail Ertug (S&D, Germany) asked why member states had not used the 868/2004 regulation on unfair practices and state subsidies in third countries. Gesine Meissner (ALDE, Germany) called for an indicative calendar for future negotiations and highlighted the need to revise regulation 868/2004 as soon as possible.
In the context of the challenge involving international competition, MEPs also expressed concern about the social chapter included in the strategy. Peter Lundgren (EFDD, Sweden) cited the case of airline pilots who he believes are guilty of unfair practices. With regard to the external chapter, Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France) highlighted the “the great tragedy of the aviation sector” involving social dumping. She therefore called on the Commission to set out strict rules to guarantee social conditions to be abided by and fair competition. Ismail Ertug expressed his regret at the Commission's backtracking on the question of workers' mobility and pointed out the need to revise legislation on ground handling.
Following the interventions made by the MEPs, the Commissioner reiterated her conviction that only global agreements would be able to ensure fair competition through the recognition of the principle of reciprocity and fair and equitable conditions. With regard to revision of the 868/2004 regulation the Commissioner announced that there would soon be a proposal for its amendment or replacement.
With regard to the social chapter, the Commissioner indicated that she would get to grips with the difficult question of what constituted the home base and intends to clarify European legislation on this point. She indicated that DG Justice would be publishing a raft of guidelines on good practices on mobile workers' rights and provided assurances that “we should open up our economic models but not without social dialogue”. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)