Brussels, 15/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 15 February, during a visit to Singapore for the Aviation Leadership Summit, the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc, informed business leaders from the aviation sector that she hoped to sign the first global agreement with members of the Association for South Eastern Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2017.
According to the Commissioner, 2017 would be a particularly good time for such an agreement given that it will also be the 50th anniversary of the ASEAN, as well as the 40th anniversary of cooperation between the Union and the former. The Commissioner also highlighted the previous episodes of this cooperation, particularly the joint declaration in the aviation transport field, signed on 12 February 2014. This declaration paved the way for the setting up of a workgroup between the EU and ASEAN in the aviation sector that facilitates exchanges and follow up to the progress accomplished in areas of cooperation on regulatory questions.
During her speech, Bulc outlined three areas of the fourth pillar in the aviation strategy on external markets (see EUROPE 11447), namely, the global agreements, decarbonisation, research and innovation. On the issue of decarbonisation, the Commissioner highlighted the opportunity the UN Climate Conference agreement represented, which, however, did not contain any specific target for the aviation and maritime sectors, much to the consternation of environmentalists (see EUROPE 11453). Lastly, experts from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) reached an agreement on a CO2 emissions reduction strategy in the aviation transport sector (see EUROPE 11486). Based on these climate objectives, the Commissioner subsequently called for cooperation to be stepped up between the EU and ASEAN in the area of research, particularly in an effort to develop hybrid planes and alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, in an effort to reduce CO2 emissions.
The Commissioner's agenda, however, is a full one and on 14 February she also met ASEAN Transport Ministers during a working meal. At this event, she presented the aviation strategy, discussed the substance of the negotiations on the global agreements, explored the most recent developments in the single aviation market (ASAM), prepared the ICAO assembly, which will take place in September and, finally, discussed the Chinese “One Belt, One Road” initiative, a connection development plan between China and third countries.
On 15 February, the Commissioner had a meeting with the President of the ICAO, in view of preparing the 39th ICAO assembly. She also had talks with the Director-General of the International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) regarding implementation of the strategy and the ICAO assembly. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)