The Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU submitted a second draft compromise to the national delegations on Monday 18 January, concerning the amendment of the European Regulation on the allocation of airport slots (see EUROPE 12625/9).
The draft compromise, of which EUROPE has obtained a copy, differs relatively little from the text presented by Lisbon to the Member States the week before (see EUROPE 12636/5).
Prolongation. In particular, the EU Council would consider further reducing the time limit for the Commission to extend the period of validity of the text by means of delegated acts. The period in question here is 1 year from the entry into force of the Regulation, as opposed to 2 years in the first draft compromise.
The initial proposal, for its part, provided for the Commission to be given the possibility of extending the text until August 2024.
Use of slots. The main change in the EU Council’s first draft compromise was maintained, namely the return to a mandatory minimum threshold of 50% airport slot usage for the period from 28 March to 30 October 2021.
The text also requires airlines to make available to the coordinator the slots they will not be using “as early as possible and no later than 3 weeks before the planned date of their operation”.
The three-week limit, which was deleted in the first compromise proposal, has ended up been reintroduced here.
On the other hand, the EU Council would consider deleting the provision proposed by the Commission implying that series of slots exchanged between air carriers in return for compensation and newly acquired series should be used at least at 80%.
Finally, the draft compromise introduces a new entry to the list of reasons that may justify the non-use of the minimum threshold of mandatory slots by an airline. This time, it is any restriction affecting “the availability of services essential to support directly the operation of an air service”. (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)