MEPs meeting in plenary session on Wednesday 13 February adopted their position on three reports on measures that could be taken at EU level to counter the consequences of a potential exit from the EU by the United Kingdom (Brexit) without agreement.
These three texts were subject to a simplified procedure for their vote in the European Parliament Under Rule 50 of the institution's Rules of Procedure, it is indeed possible that a proposal for a legally binding act may be deemed adopted by the parliamentary committee without amendment or formal vote, unless a certain number of Members, in this case five in the transport committee, object. Due to the absence of the quorum required to oppose this option, the three texts were therefore submitted directly to Members in plenary session.
The reports in question echo the Commission's proposals from 19 December last, on emergency measures in the absence of an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union on Brexit (see EUROPE 12163).
The first report, drafted by Isabella de Monte (S&D, Italy), which makes some amendments to the Commission's proposal for a regulation aimed at maintaining connectivity between the United Kingdom and the European Union with regard to road freight transport, was broadly approved (578 votes in favour, 5 votes against, 18 abstentions).
The second report, prepared by Pavel Telička (ALDE, Czech Republic), on the continuity of air transport services, was also adopted by a very comfortable majority (576 votes in favour, 4 against, 28 abstentions). It contains some amendments to the Commission's proposal, in particular as regards the Commission's power to adopt delegated acts in the implementation of the Regulation.
Finally, Kosma's third and final report Złotowski (ECR, Poland), which amends the Commission's proposal to extend the validity of air safety certificates for British entities by a margin, was also adopted by a very broad margin (603 votes in favour, 3 against, 5 abstentions).
The rapporteurs requested that the decision to open inter-institutional negotiations ('trilogues') be taken by MEPs from Parliament's Transport Committee, which was approved. After such a decision, the trilogues with the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU can start.
On the Council side, the Member States' ambassadors to the EU ('Coreper') adopted their negotiating position on aviation safety on 1 February last (see EUROPE 12185) and are expected to agree on the other two texts on Friday 15 February. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)