Brussels, 09/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - The Transport Council to be held on 12 October in Luxembourg is expected to reach a political agreement on the proposal for a regulation on the establishment of common rules in the field of civil aviation security. EU transport ministers will also adopt conclusions on the state of progress of the European satellite radio-navigation programme, Galileo, and will hold a first policy debate on mid-term review of the White Paper on European transport policy in the run up to 2010.
Regulation 2005/429 aims to clarify, simplify and harmonise the provisions contained in Regulation 2320/2002 on establishing common rules in the field of civil aviation security. The Council will no doubt come to a political agreement on this issue but the question still outstanding is that of what will happen to the funding of air security measures imposed after the attacks on New York on 11 September 2001. We point out that the Council and European Parliament have still not come to an agreement on this, the latter stressing that the principle of co-funding for such measures should be included in the body of the text (see EUROPE 9274). Still with regard to aviation matters, the European Commission will present a progress report to the Council on air negotiations between the EU and the United States (the EU is still awaiting a change in US legislation to allow it to sign the air agreement negotiated in November 2005) and between the EU and Russia on the problem of Siberian overflight payments imposed on European airlines. The Commission will also present new measures adopted to enhance air safety, in the wake of the stalled terrorist attack in London during August this year (see EUROPE 9280).
Pending the Parliament's opinion, the Council is expected to reach general guidelines on the proposal for a regulation amending the status of the common undertaking, Galileo, annexed to Regulation 876/2002, and the proposal for a regulation amending Regulation 1321/2004 on the management structures for European satellite radio-navigation programmes. The aim is to ensure transition between the common undertaking Galileo, whose activities will end 31 December 2006, and the Galileo Supervisory Authority, which will succeed it. The Council is also expected to adopt conclusions on the state of progress of the programme. The Commission will take stock of negotiations underway with the consortium for the Galileo concession, as well as on cooperation with third countries.
We point out that the Commission will be informing the Council on its communication concerning freight transport logistics (see EUROPE 9221), as well as on the first EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council on Transport (see EUROPE 9261). (dt)