Brussels, 31/10/2002 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament and the Council agreed on Wednesday on the draft regulation for the establishment of common rules in the field of civil aviation security (report by British Conservative Jacqueline Foster). The Council will not have to jointly finance security measures foreseen by the new regulation, and the Parliament has secured the organisation of on-the-spot checks in airports from the moment when the regulation takes effect, and more stringent control of personnel, passengers and luggage in all airport areas from 1 July 2004. Council President Flemming Hansen, Vice-President of the Parliament Giorgos Dimitrakopoulos and Jacqueline Foster expressed their satisfaction in a press release. Ronan Anderson, spokesman for the Airports Council International (ACI), said that his sector was disappointed by the financial aspect of the agreement while welcoming the new security measures. "We do not want passengers to have to pay for these measures, but the governments", he explained, recalling that the US government has promised $1.5 billion to its airports for identical measures.
The agreement brings to an end conciliation procedure that had begun badly since the first meeting had ended in failure after divergence over the matter of funding. While the parliamentary delegation wanted a compulsory commitment from the Council on the breakdown of financing, the latter refused to commit itself saying that it is up to the Member States to get organised and make their own arrangements (see EUROPE of 20 September, p.12). Finally, Parliament and Council agreed on the Commission proposal (which does not evoke the question of funding) and on an interinstitutional declaration. With this declaration, which is politically but not legally binding, the Council recognises the grounds for public funding but does not, however, wish to be compelled to have to finance new security measures, and the need to avoid competition distortion on Community territory (taking into account the concerns of the air sector on competition distortion due to the fact that some Member States finance security measures and others do not). The Commission should soon make a report on how these measures are financed on EU territory and possibly put forward proposals.
The agreement should be adopted by written procedure next week. It will be voted in third reading in Strasbourg in December before being approved without debate by the Council.