On Friday 20 March, the Presidency of the Council of the EU obtained the approval of the Member States' ambassadors to the EU (Coreper) to negotiate a proposal on airport slots with the European Parliament.
This proposal, drawn up on the basis of an initial document presented by the Commission on 13 March (see EUROPE 12446/4), should make it possible to support air carriers that are faced with a sharp fall in demand as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic.
It makes provision for the fact that airlines may temporarily derogate from the so-called "80/20 rule", which obliges them to use at least 80% of their take-off and landing slots in order to retain them the following year (see EUROPE 12445/3). This is set to continue until 24 October 2020.
Prolonged derogation. This is where the proposal adopted by the EU Council today differs from the proposal by the Commission:
the latter recommended that the derogation should only apply until 30 June. The proposal to extend this deadline to October was put forward by eight countries (Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Greece and Poland) and was subsequently given broad support.
As originally foreseen by the European Commission, the Council of the EU further proposes that the exemption could also apply retroactively, from 23 January to 29 February 2020, for flights between the EU and China or Hong Kong; 23 January being the date upon which the first airport was closed by the Chinese authorities.
If the current serious situation persists, the measure may be extended by means of a delegated act of the Commission.
“This slot waiver will provide the necessary flexibility and certainty for our aviation industry in this unprecedented situation”, said the Croatian Minister of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure and the current Chair of the Council, Oleg Butković, after the meeting of ambassadors.
“It is an absolute priority for the Croatian Presidency to have this amendment adopted as soon as possible”, he added. Amendments to the original proposal must first be adopted by the European Parliament and then by the Council of the EU.
“Parliament must respond”. The President of the Transport (TRAN) Committee, Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France), welcomed how responsive the Council of the EU was being.
“The European Parliament must also provide a response to this urgent matter. This is why this text should be voted on as a matter of urgency at the plenary session on 26 March”, (see EUROPE 12450/10), she told EUROPE.
Mrs Delli intended to send a letter, on behalf of the TRAN Committee, to the President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, asking him to ensure that the vote took place on that date.
The European Parliament should, according to a European source, vote the same amendments as the EU Council, in order that the derogation is extended to cover the entire summer period. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)