Strasbourg, 15/11/2001 (Agence Europe) - Isabelle Durant, President of the EU Transport Council, expressed the hope, on Thursday morning during the debate at the European Parliament on the air transport crisis that was made worse by the attacks on 11 September, that the proposals on immediate measures to be made at the Transport Council on 7 December may take effect immediately. According to Ms Durant, restructuring is necessary, in the form of "recomposition of the European sky around several major alliances (…), without recommending mergers or participation that would require an overall recasting of the competition regulatory system". Recasting of this kind should be accompanied by reflection allowing the adjustment of competition rules to better arm Europe against third countries, and especially against its main rival, the United States. Ms Durant was not gentle in her criticism of the American government, which, with immediate help for airline companies, allowed "predator" practices on transatlantic lines. The Belgian Presidency considers that a mandate should, in time, be given to the European Commission so that it negotiates on behalf of the Union in this field (we have been asking for this for a long while, recalled Ms Diamantopoulou). It considers it should support the Commission when it proposes a code of conduct with the United States. Commissioner for Social Affairs Anna Diamantopulou affirmed for her part that the legislative framework exists to make instruments come into play that allow help in facing up to the social crisis. Social funds should possibly be redirected, she said.
During the debate (followed up on relevant platforms by trade union representatives), several MEPs attacked the Council and Commission, reproaching them for not having done enough for this sector in crisis. Those particularly fierce in their criticism were British Conservative Jacqueline Foster, who called for an "interim financial package", and British Labour member Brian Simpson, who accused them of "fiddling like some modern time Nero"), and also Belgian Socialist Olga Zrihen, who exclaimed: "Yes, Europe is responsible; it appears like a true driving force for this uncontrolled liberalisation (…) I cannot understand this intransigent Commission which gives preference to sanctions and ukases". "I do not believe anyone can claim to be exclusively indignant about the social drama" that some workers live through, was Belgian Minister Isabelle Durant's strong reaction. She added (with reference to Sabena's bankruptcy) that she is in a good position to know about it. At the same time, she felt that the return to "massive" State aid would only be a way to "push the obstacle out of the way" and conceal the problems that must be resolved sooner or later. Paolo Costa (I Democratici, Liberal Group), on the other hand, appealed for calm, and stressed that many aims must be followed at the same time: - defence against American "unfair" competition, acceleration of restructuring in the sector and obligations in security matters and respect for the environment. Pierre Jonckheer, Belgian Green member, also denounced the "unacceptable" behaviour of the United States (since we apparently cannot refer to the WTO, we should put our "legitimate arguments" forward in the context of transatlantic dialogue, he said), while noting that the European competition policy must "help restructure the sector, and not prevent it". German PDS elected member Helmut Markov urged for a comprehensive European transport policy and insisted on high social norms and adequate salaries, while Adriana Poli Bortone (Alleanza nazionale) mainly raised the problem of recapitalisation of Alitalia, noting that the Commission gave its approval, on 17 October, for EUR 387 million, but that the needs of Alitalia amounted to EUR 1.5 billion.
Several Belgian MEPs naturally took the floor during the debate to speak of the Sabena affair in particular. Vlaams Blok elected member Frank Vanhecke did so to note that Sabena had been making losses for the past fourteen years and that the "royal family had intervened to keep French speakers at the head". Marianne Thyssen (EPP) said she hoped that, during this critical phase, there would be greater flexibility of slot management. The DAT (Sabena's subsidiary) should benefit from the same protection and the same opportunities as the other airline companies, she said. Liberal Dirk Sterckx stressed that it is necessary to act at European level. He recognised that we are keen on our national companies but that their time is now over. Irish Labour member Proinsias de Rossa spoke in quite a different tone, affirming that the national airline companies are just as important as the national anthem.
EUROPE will come back to the vote on the resolution by several groups, which mainly calls for European competition rules to be applied to this sector in crisis "on an individual basis, so that new structures may be set in place".