Unsurprisingly, on the evening of Thursday 26 March, MEPs approved almost unanimously (686 votes in favour, none against and 2 abstentions) the temporary suspension of EU rules on airport slots (see EUROPE 12445/3).
This measure, which is expected to prevent air carriers from operating empty flights during the COVID-19 pandemic, was adopted as a matter of urgency (see EUROPE 12455/3), on the basis of a proposal presented by the Commission on 13 March (see EUROPE 12446/4).
Like the EU Council (see EUROPE 12451/18), Parliament wants the constraint on airlines’ use of their take-off and landing slots to be lifted for the entire summer season, from 29 March to 24 October 2020.
A decision welcomed by the representatives of the sector and by the Transport Commissioner, Adina Vălean, who called on the European Ministers in charge of Transport to act accordingly.
“We are putting an end to ecological and economic absurdity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic”, said Transport Committee Chair Karima Delli (Greens/EFA, France).
Agenda. A written procedure was opened today in the EU Council in order for the institution’s position to be definitively adopted. It will end on Monday 30 March at 10 a.m. and requires a qualified majority, which should not pose any difficulties.
As Parliament has adopted the same position as the EU Council, the interinstitutional negotiation phase (‘trilogues’) will not be necessary: it should therefore be possible to sign the text as early as Monday 30 March and publish it in the EU Official Journal the following day.
If so, it would come into force on 1 April. “That was a lightning round of legislation”, said Ismail Ertug MEP (S&D, Germany) on his Twitter account. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)