Brussels, 20/01/2016 (Agence Europe) - As the aviation summit opened in Amsterdam on Wednesday 20 January, most aviation sector players had made clear their expectations and concerns to the European Commission and the member states.
The associations representing the air space users - which include the Association of European Airlines (AEA), the International Air Carrier Association (IACA) and the European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) - have once again expressed their relative unhappiness with regard to the Commission's aviation strategy, and its lack of ambition (see EUROPE 11447 and 11448). They set out five priorities: - lowering the external costs imposed on aviation operators; - improving airspace control conditions over Europe; - providing new infrastructure both on the ground (in terms of airports and air navigation service providers) and in the air; - monitoring the monopoly situations of some infrastructure providers; - reducing the regulatory obstacle that air operators face.
The Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe) has put the emphasis on ensuring respect for the principles of reciprocity and fair competition within the framework of mandates for negotiation with third countries. Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc has given assurances that a fair competition clause will be built into negotiating mandates (see EUROPE 11471). With regard to the internal strand of the European strategy, ACI Europe is calling for the removal of regulatory obstacles which produce additional costs for Europe alone. The organisation calls for abolition of air sector taxes in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria and Italy. Lastly it calls for speedy implementation of the Single European Sky and an approach based on potential risk rather than a rigid regulatory framework.
The European Transport Workers' Federation (ETF) adopted a detailed position on Tuesday 19 January with a view to enhancing and sharpening up the social strand of the Commission strategy. In it, the unions set out a series of concrete measures, such as strengthening the social and security dimensions in the mandate of the European Air Safety Agency (EASA), enhancing the role of the social partners in drafting European policies, in both the internal and external strands of the strategy, development of a 5th pillar to the Single Sky, containing a “human factor” (compulsory social dialogue on implementation of the functional air blocks - FABs) and closer cooperation between the Commission's DG MOVE (Mobility and Transport) and DG EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)