Brussels, 20/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - As announced (EUROPE of 17 July, p.9), the European Commission decided on Tuesday to call on the 20 Member States that have concluded bilateral air agreements with the United States (Open Skies or restrictive agreements) to denounce these agreements, which were judged partly illegal by the European Court of Justice in November 2002 and which are discriminatory even if they are not the subject of a Court ruling. Countries concerned are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malta, Spain, Greece and Ireland. The Commission calls on the five other States (Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Cyprus) not to undertake talks with the United States in this connection. The Commission has also decided to launch infringement proceedings against 12 of the states signing these agreements, procedure that ranges from a formal letter of notice (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, France and Portugal) to referral before the Court (Netherlands). Upon receipt of the letter, these States will have two months in which to respond. The other States signing agreements but which are not for now the subject of infringement proceedings (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malta, Spain, Greece and Ireland) should provide a copy of the agreements for the Commission within two weeks.