Brussels, 01/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - Reacting to the Court of Justice Advocate-General's comments on the Open Skies agreement (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.15), Commissioner Loyola de Palacio stressed the importance of the agreements, insofar as they confirm the principle of a level playing field. She said that one would obviously have to wait for the Court ruling, but the conclusions supported the Commission's action in two absolutely essential areas - nationality clauses are illegal and the Community alone has power over areas covered by EU regulations. She added that if the Court followed its conclusions, it would have to go back over the main areas of all the agreements in order in particular to put an end to the absurd contradiction whereby any European airline can supply services from any European airport for internal flights but is not allowed to operate international flights. Putting a stop to nationality clauses is also vital in terms of restructuring the European skies, which is in itself a matter of raising competitiveness in the face of the US in particular. Commenting on the Advocate-General's conclusions whereby Member States should not make international arrangements in areas that are covered by Community legislation (such as tariffs and reservation systems), Ms de Palacio said that this confirmed a vital principle that would fundamentally challenge existing agreements. She concluded that it was time to move in the direction of a "transatlantic sky" which would help improve competitive relations between the EU and the United States through negotiating fair, transparent rules.