Brussels, 18/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Committee of Permanent Representatives of the EU (Coreper) held a long debate last week on the package of proposals to reinforce air passengers' rights, which was presented by the European Commission on 16 February (EUROPE 8890). The debate focused mainly on a “blacklist” of the least safe airlines. The proposal provides for the Member States to publish a list of air carriers which are banned from using their air space, to be made available to the other Member States and the Commission, and on the basis of which the Commission will publish a consolidated list of these airlines. Although most delegations support the Commission's text, others would like a more Community approach. These delegations, notably France and Belgium, are pleading for a coordination and discussion system to be set up between the Member States with a view to a Community list of banned airlines, which is acceptable to all, French sources explained to EUROPE. When this comes in, an airline which is banned from the air space of one Member State will be banned from that of all the other countries of the EU. The objective is greater transparency and readability for air passengers. It also goes without saying that such a procedure would guarantee more coherence and credibility, as “it is extremely delicate for one Member State not to ban an airline which is banned elsewhere”, these sources continue. The transport ministers of the EU will tackle the issue at the Transport Council of 21 April where, pending the first reading of the European Parliament, the Presidency hopes to arrive at a general orientation on the proposal.
France is continuing to work on its own “quality label” for the safest airlines, to be included on a “bluelist”. This proposal, which was announced in the wake of the Sharm el-Sheikh disaster, which killed 148 in January 2004, did not go down particularly well among the other Member States at the time (see EUROPE 8746). France, however, has not given up on its plan, as this list is to see the light of day by the end of the year. It will include French and third-country airlines, selected by a certification body, on the basis of safety and quality criteria which are more exacting than those of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), added the sources, who went on to say that France hopes to see this measure in place at Community level eventually.