On Tuesday 21 March, the European Parliament and Council of the EU held their first inter-institutional negotiating meeting on the revision of the regulation governing the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The two parties expressed differing positions on many different points.
The first involves the name of the agency. Speaking on behalf of the European Parliament, Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romania), would like to rename the European Aviation Safety Agency, the “European Union Aviation Agency”. The objective is to proceed to an expansion of the agency’s scope of safety-related activities (see EUROPE 11721) but the Council does not appear to want to run with this.
Parliament would like to introduce the minimum service principle, in an effort to ensure the continuity of the provision of air traffic control services. Certain member states are opposed to this and see this as a breach of the right to strike. Transport unions are also strongly against this provision (see EUROPE 11739).
Many points of disagreement. In the event of an emergency situation relating to safety, the European Parliament would like EASA to be able to act alone initially, which is rejected by member states. On the question of decisions being made by the agency, Parliament would like its instructions to be binding, whereas the Council would prefer non-binding recommendations. MEPs would like the agency to be responsible for the certification of European flight handlers, which member states again reject.
The Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU initially demonstrated a wish to complete an agreement under its mandate. This objective is still feasible but could be handicapped by the “false start” in the negotiations caused by a disagreement on the agenda between the two institutions (see EUROPE 11725). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)