Brussels, 01/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - A draft compromise seems to be taking shape between the United States and the European Union on the European regulation banning the registration in Europe of aircraft fitted with noise mufflers, or hushkits. Community sources confirmed that the European Commissioner for Transport Loyola de Palacio, and the US under-secretary for Trade, David Aaron, evoked the possibility of a three-stage solution: I) the European Union and the United States are said to be adopting a joint declaration whereby both parties undertake to promote the adoption, of international environmental norms before the General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), in September 2001. These norms would introduce a new generation of aircraft, said Chapter 4; II) the European Union is suspending the application of the regulation on hushkits (which would normally come into force on 4 May). The Commission will present a report three months after the ICAO meeting in September 2001, in order to evaluate the results. In the event of ICAO negotiations having effectively resulted in stricter international norms, the European regulation on hushkits could be cancelled. If this does not happen, suspension would be lifted and the regulation would take effect.
For Europeans, this solution would have the advantage of promoting the adoption of more stringent international norms on sound emissions and noise pollution by aircraft, an argument on which the MEPs insist in their draft resolution on this. France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, on the other side, last week insisted within the Committee of Permanent Representatives for a compromise to be found as soon as possible.
A representative of the US Administration had declared on Tuesday evening to the Reuters Agency that "we would suspend our action, they (EU) would suspend their action and we would sign a joint statement of objectives in ICAO". The draft compromise must therefore still be approved on the American side by the secretaries of State for transport and trade, and on the European side by the Council and Parliament. Commissioner de Palacio presented the broad lines on Wednesday afternoon to the chairpersons of the parliamentary committees on transport and the environment.
A high official of the US Administration told the press in Washington that both parties had a draft compromise which must be approved. The US industry was also invited to react.