Brussels, 29/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot is to chair the Transport Council scheduled for next Monday, 2 October, in Luxembourg, in an atmosphere weighed down by the failure of the exceptional Transport Council on fuel prices, held 20 September, and by the demonstrations of road haulage unions. The European Federation of transport workers announced that its subsidiaries will block the Luxembourg borders from Sunday evening, in order to call on Transport Ministers to take a rapid decision on social conditions in road transport. Trade unions will meet Jean-Claude Gayssot on Monday morning before the Council session.
The debate on the "package" of social measures proposed by the European Commission in June in order to bring the issue of working hours in road transport out of deadlock will be one of the main issues covered by this Council, with the question of maritime safety and the breakdown between Member States of transit rights across Switzerland. It is not to be ruled out that an agreement will be reached on the Swiss question although it does seem difficult. The only decision expected is the adoption of a Council resolution on the not so controversial issues of protection of rights of air passengers. We give below the agenda of the session:
Maritime safety. The Council will hold a policy debate on measures proposed by the Commission in March, as well as a public debate (at 10h15) on the new measures contemplated (see other article on next page).
Air Transport. The European Commission will present its draft regulation for the creation of a European Air Safety Agency adopted on 27 September (see EUROPE of 28 September, p.8). The technical work is expected to make swift progress on this subject by the next session of the Transport Council (December) since some of the problems have already been tackled at earlier ministerial debates. The Member States insist among other things that the third countries should be involved in the work of the future agency.
The Council will note the state of progress of work on the harmonisation of cabin staff requirements for civil aviation. The draft directive mainly transposes the "Joint Aviation Requirements" defined at international level, specifying the medical conditions and the training for recruitment of hostesses and stewards. The directive, which comes within the framework of liberalisation of air transport in Europe, has been on the Council table for three years pending a common position. The Parliament gave its position at first reading two years ago.
The Council will adopt a resolution on the rights of air passengers. On the basis of the European Commission's communication on the protection of passengers' rights presented on 21 June, the ministers will broadly sketch out what the future measures to be taken will be, in addition to the rights already guaranteed by the European legislation.
At the end of the afternoon, Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio should present the state of progress on the draft regulation concerning the attribution of time slots for air travel, currently being discussed within the Commission and with the interested parties. The presentation of this project expected for several years now and initially promised for September has been rejected failing an agreement between the Commission and airline companies among other things on the attribution of time slots to new entrants.
The Commissioner also counts on taking stock of work by the group preparing the creation of the "European single sky", begun in January this year.
Galileo. The ministers will take stock during lunch of the situation regarding preparation of the European project for satellite tracking, Galileo. Their policy debate will focus on: the architecture of the future system (the type of satellite, the orbits that will be necessary, etc.), the frequency plan after the success of the international conference in Istanbul on the sharing of frequences; funding issues; and institutional organisation . The aim is to reach an agreement on transition to the operational phase of the project during the December Transport Council.
Overland transport. The ministers will seek to make headway on the dossier relating to the breakdown of quotas for heavy goods vehicles weighing over 28 tonnes authorised to cross Switzerland from 1 January, in the context of the EU/Switzerland agreements. One of the outstanding issues is the definition of lorries travelling unladen that Switzerland will allow to use roads without tax. Discussions are underway with Switzerland and should become clearer during the meeting of the EU/Switzerland joint committee on 13 October. The coming into force of the agreement on transit could be delayed, with the seven EU/Switzerland sectoral agreements not yet ratified by all Member States.
Switzerland threatened to apply the taxes on lorries from 1 January, to compensate for the expected increase in traffic, even if the agreement has not entered into force. There too, discussions are continuing.
The Council will complete its work with a policy debate on the thorny issue of social conditions for road hauliers (see below).