Brussels, 26/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot briefed the Transport Council of 21 April on his recent visit to the United States, which was intended to revive discussion on a transatlantic air agreement (EUROPE 8915). In its conclusions, the Council welcomes the Commission's intention to resume negotiating with the United States as soon as possible with a view to an overall agreement in the field of air transport. During talks, the Member States confirmed that they were in favour of an agreement in several stages but recalled that progress must be made to achieve this, mainly when it comes to access to the American market by European air companies. It is this last point, for which Europeans consider progress is insufficient, that scuppered the earlier negotiations. The Council specifies that the draft agreement of June 2004 should be the point of departure for continuing negotiations. Progress has to be made on essential elements evoked by the Commission, namely regulatory cooperation especially for security, competition and State aid, traffic rights and the link between the various stages of the agreement. As far as market access is concerned, the Council notes that the key issue on the ownership and control regime pertaining to airline companies is being studied by the US Administration. Commissioner Barrot will now be pursuing contacts at every level, mainly to ensure accession by Member States to a new framework of negotiations before formally reactivating contacts with the Americans. The dossier may again be on the agenda of the next Transport Council in June.