Brussels, 06/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - For the next six months, the Dutch Presidency of the EU has set out two priority domains in which it hopes to move forward in the transport sector: the aviation strategy and the 4th railway package.
In the context of the aviation strategy presented on 7 December 2015 by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11438), the Presidency is subsequently hoping to make progress on two points or even “conclude” them: airline passenger rights and Gibraltar, a subject still pending over the past few months due to the Spanish elections. On this latter point, two European sources have cautiously suggested that an agreement was possible. Such an agreement would help make progress on the question of the Single European Sky 2+ SES2+, the Single Sky, pushed forward by the Commission in its strategy and something the aviation sector has been strongly appealing for (see EUROPE 11448). On 20-21 January an aviation summit will take place at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, which will bring together ministers from the EU28, MEPs, industry representatives and aviation sector organisations.
On the question of the 4th railway package, for which the political pillar was adopted at the Council under the previous Presidency, at the price of introducing many different exemptions (see EUROPE 11450), the Dutch Presidency is seeking to reach an agreement with the European Parliament during its own presidency.
The Presidency is also seeking to adopt an agreement on the draft regulation on access to the port services market presented by the Commission in 2013. This project is still the subject of much debate at the European Parliament (see EUROPE 11409), as well as at the Council, where the national delegations have been speaking more in favour of a directive instead of a regulation.
Other important dossiers include the question of the liberalisation of highway services, which was the subject of the most recent Transport Council discussed in December (see EUROPE 11450), as well as connected and autonomous automobiles. This final point will be discussed during a joint meeting of Environment and Transport Ministers on 14-15 April next, in a backdrop to the Innovation Expo in Amsterdam. In this perspective, the Dutch Presidency is hoping to make progress on harmonising national legislation in the area of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) (see EUROPE 11404) and autonomous cars.
The Transport Council will take place on 7 June, according to a provisional Presidency calendar and will be chaired by the Dutch Minister for Infrastructure and the Environment, Melanie van Haegen. Ministers will focus on two themes: -aviation, with a progress report on the draft regulation on the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) abrogating Regulation 2016/2008 and the proposal to amend Regulation 868/2004 on unfair trade practices in third countries, which was heatedly debated at the European Parliament last December (see EUROPE 11460) and the maritime sector, particularly inland rivers. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)