Brussels, 18/04/2001 (Agence Europe) - The European Union is desperately trying to secure shorter transition periods for the entry into force of new international standards reducing the noise level of aircraft. The colloquium on the environmental aspects of aviation, held in Montreal from 9 to 11 April within the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), confirmed that "much work remains to be done" before the ICAO Council that, in June, should adopt new noise standards, European Commission sources recognise. On 17 January, the ICAO's "committee for environmental protection in aviation" had come up with an agreement providing for: 1) the introduction from 1 January 2006 of a new "chapter 4" noise standard that would reduce noise levels by 10dB in relation to the current "chapter 3" standard; 2) harmonised rules for the renewal of certificates of "chapter 3" aircraft adapted to "chapter 4"; 3) the publication of reference documents relating to space planning; 4) proposals for new noise reduction procedures on takeoff.
The ICAO's environmental committee did not however reach a satisfactory agreement for the EU regarding transition periods or regional restrictions that could be imposed on the use of "chapter 3" aircraft during these periods. At present, the EU thus considers the results of negotiations to be encouraging, but inadequate. It especially wants implementation of the standards to take account of population density around European airports.
In its conclusions on the negotiations within the ICAO, adopted at its last meeting, the EU's Transport Council remarked that "one of the Community's essential aims will be to ensure that ICAO policies on noise and gas emissions do not prevent the needs and obligations of Member States and the Community regarding the environment being respected". Indeed, the Council conclusions stipulated, "the new noise certification standard will not suffice, on its own, to resolve these problems in regions such as Europe".
The EU would, moreover, like to ensure the speedy elimination of "chapter 2" aircraft which, thanks to the noise abatement "hushkit" devices, have been upgraded to "chapter 3". The EU has prohibited the registration of "hushkits" in Europe. The agreement reached within the ICAO should enable regions with more sever environmental constraints "to implement restrictions over the operations of aircraft which only respect the standards of chapter 3 within a limited margin", the conclusions stipulate. The future agreement should, moreover, "facilitate a negotiated settlement" to the dispute between EU Member States and the United States which has attacked the European ban on hushkits before the ICAO Council. Initial contacts between the European Commissioner for Transport, Loyola de Palacio and the American transport Secretary of the new Bush Administration seem to have been positive. As was the case with the Clinton Administration, the problem nevertheless lies in confirming the beginning of a settlement to the conflict at the level of the government as a whole, remarks a European diplomat.
The members of the ICAO also turned to the adoption of standards for gas emissions, issue that is less advanced than the one on noise standards. The aim is to find a solution based on the trade in rights of emission, on the basis of the objectives set in the framework of the Kyoto Protocol. At the colloquium in Montreal, the United States is said to have assured its partners that its stance over the Kyoto Protocol would not affect its participation in talks within the ICAO over gas emissions in aviation.