Brussels, 02/05/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday and Thursday during her visit to Washington, the European Commissioner for Transport, Loyola de Palacio, made another appeal for the new "Open Skies" agreement to be concluded with the USA, as well as better co-ordination of air and maritime safety. The Commissioner has ensured that the US Administration will examine the possibility of negotiating an "Open Skies" agreement that goes beyond traffic rights and takes into account property rules, investment and competition. Trans-Atlantic negotiations on air transport will focus on US rules that ban foreign companies from having more than 25% of voting rights in US companies, Ms de Palacio explained in a press statement. She was confident that the US Administration was, "well aware that the court outcome shall mean, in any case, there is a negotiation to be made". The court is expected to soon reach a decision on the bi-lateral "Open skies" air transport agreements concluded by Member States and the USA, which had received some criticism from the Advocate General (see EUROPE 1 February p15.). Negotiations for a new "Open Skies" agreement, refused up until now by most Member States at the Council, will be part of the "positive agenda" on the strengthening of trade relations with the USA, discussed at the EU/USA Summit in Washington.
Ms de Palacio evoked with Under Secretary of State for Transport Michael P. Jackson the air safety measures being developed since the attacks on 11 September. "The EU is about to have a new legislative arsenal that makes compulsory to all its Member States the highest standards on security", she recalled, stressing above all that these measures should lead to controls on all luggage, without exception. She recalled that new measures for strengthening cockpit doors are being studied at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). "We encourage the respect of internationally agreed time-tables and hope we shall find common ground for implementing these measures in a reasonable timetable. This is an issue we need to further cooperate on", she insisted.
The Commissioner also tackled the question of public insurance coverage of airline companies. The United States and the EU "have agreed totally on the need to go back to the market as soon as possible", she declared. The Ecofin Council is to evoke, on Tuesday, the question of follow-up for the system allowing the Member States to cover the "war" and terrorism risk of their airline companies, until 31 May, stressed the Commissioner. European airline companies are currently preparing a system for pooling insurance risks. American airline companies have for their part proposed an insurance system called "Equitime". "Whatever the solution agreed by the airlines, it must not distort competition", stressed the Commissioner.
Ms. de Palacio, moreover, spoke of ongoing negotiations at the international maritime organisation to tighten safety measures onboard ships. "We back the initiative launched by the IMO, as they will lead to international rules: we have backed the United States' proposals, and the Commission is co-ordinating the positions of Member States to reach the same objectives," the Commissioner assured. "I strongly welcome the good co-operation between the United States and the European Union within the group on maritime transport and security; it will contribute to accelerating work in international fora and allow for solutions to be examined that could be implemented rapidly at bilateral level", she hoped.