29/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 29 April, the European Commission and Australia signed an aviation agreement that removes nationality restrictions in the bilateral air services agreements based on nationality, and concludes a global aviation agreement. The signing of an agreement therefore allows any EU airline to operate flights between any EU member state where it is established and Australia. The future global agreement means that the EU and Australian markets will increase regulatory convergence and co-operation in fields such as aviation security, environmental protection, aviation safety, and competition rules. The Commission had previously submitted a request to the Council in September 2005 for a negotiations brief to conclude a global agreement. (A.By.)