Brussels, 12/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot and the Moroccan Minister for transport Karim Ghellab signed an agreement at the Transport Council on 12 December on global aviation. This agreement replaces all bilateral aviation agreements concluded between EU Member States and Morocco, progressively opens up their respective markets and includes an important section on regulatory convergence between the two partners (EUROPE 9142). The Council also adopted a decision granting the European Commission a brief for beginning negotiations with Ukraine in view of concluding a global aviation agreement that is the same as that signed with Rabat. The aim is to integrate the Ukrainian aviation sector with the European sector.
The Council, informed by the European Commissioner Jacques Barrot about the impasse in which aviation negotiations with the USA are currently stranded (EUROPE 9322), expressed its “deep disappointment” about the situation. Reaffirming its desire to conclude this aviation agreement with the USA, the Council called on the Commission to accept Washington's proposal to begin “urgent conclusions with the USA as soon as possible” in an effort to find a solution. It is awaiting a report from the Commission on the results of these consultations for the Transport Council in March.
Welcoming the end of lengthy negotiations with Moscow, which helped produce an agreement to put an end to the system of surcharging European airlines flying over Siberia as from 1 January 2014 (EUROPE 9314), the Council has requested the Commission to provide it with proposals for concluding and signing the agreement obtained, “as soon as possible”. (dt)