27/03/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 25 March 2009, Paolo Costa MEP (ALDE), chair of the European Parliament committee on transport, was appointed rapporteur on the EU common rules for the allocation of slots at European airports (see EUROPE 9861). The common rules were adopted by the European Commission on 10 March 2009 to simplify the slot allocation rules to respond to the impact of the economic crisis on the aviation sector and suggest temporarily suspending, from April to October 2009, the rule whereby airlines have to use at least 80% of their slots in order to retain them for the next season. The European airport association is challenging the freezing of this 80-20 rule, which would enable airlines to keep the same slots in the 2010 summer season as in the 2009 summer season, whether or not they actually use them. The report will be examined by the transport committee on Tuesday 31 March 2009 using the simplified procedure, and the new rules (possibly amended by the European Parliament) might come into force in April. (A.By/transl.fl)