28/06/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 28 June, the Council of the European Union gave the green light to sign three aviation neighbourhood agreements with Ukraine, Armenia and Tunisia, as well as an air transport agreement with Qatar. The three Neighbourhood Agreements will allow for the association of these three countries to the internal market through the adoption of the existing European standards and rules in the aviation sector. With regard to the agreement with Qatar, which marks the first agreement of its kind with a Persian Gulf State, the opening of the market will be made possible by upgrading the existing rules and standards for flights between the EU and the Emirate. All four agreements include environmental, social and fair competition clauses. The texts should be signed in autumn 2021, before being ratified by each Member State, the Union and the other party. (TM)