Report of the European Conference of the International Civil Aviation Organisation

Motion for a resolution | Doc. 409 | 04 October 1955

Committee

Committee on Economic Affairs and Development

Signatories:

Mr Paulus J. KAPTEIJN, Netherlands, SOC

Origin

See Recommendation 12 (1951) and Doc. 7575- CATE/1 (Report of the Conference). 1955 - 7th Session - Second part

Thesaurus

A Draft Resolution [(1) See 18th Sitting, 19th October, 1955 (Draft Resolution adopted) and Resolution 79.]

The Assembly,

Having before it the Report of the Conference on the Co-ordination of Air Transport in Europe;

Noting the conclusions reached by the Conference, including the establishment of a European Civil Aviation Conference;

Welcoming the progress made towards the liberalisation of air traffic in Europe,

1. Trust s that the European Civil Aviation Conference will become a medium for practical co-operation among the European States, with a view to the re-organisation and rationalisation of the European air network, in accordance with the interests of the European economy as a whole, rather than for the benefit of individual States or companies;

2. Aware of the fact that the anarchic competition which sometimes arises among different media of transport, while perhaps of advantage to transport users, is undoubtedly against the interests of European taxpayers, who are called upon to subsidise competing forms of transport, in most cases nationalised and often running at a loss; Believing that the fundamental unity of the transport problem in Western Europe must be continually borne in mind, Expresses the hope that steps may be taken to ensure that surface and air transport— with due allowance for the necessary technical independence of the latter—shall demonstrate at the European level that unity of purpose which prevails in the majority of member countries;

3. Expresses its gratification at the decision of the Council of I. C. A. 0. to hold the first Session of the European Civil Aviation Conference at Strasbourg in November next;

4. Invites the European Civil Aviation Conference to transmit an annual report to the Assembly, following the precedents of 0. E. E. C, E. C. S. C. and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport;

5. Requests the Committee of Ministers to arrange that the delegates to the Conference of Member States of the Council of Europe lend their support to this proposal;

6. Instructs the President of the Assembly to transmit this resolution to the Civil Aviation Conference.

B Explanatory Memorandum

1

In December, 1951, the Assembly adopted its Recommendation 12, which proposed that a conference should be convened in order to examine the possibility of setting up an association of air line companies to take charge of air communications between Member States or report on other possible methods of achieving closer co-operation in order to secure the economic and efficient operation of European air transport.

In March, 1953, the Committee of Ministers invited I. C. A. 0. as the technical organisation competent in this field, to convene such a conference.

The Conference on the Co-ordination of Air Transport in Europe was held on the premises of the Council of Europe in April-May, 1954. It was attended by all members of the Council, except Greece and Iceland, and five other European countries : Austria, Finland, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland. It adopted twenty-nine recommendations for improving and developing European aviation services, including one for the creation, as a permanent body, of a European Civil Aviation Conference, to meet in plenary session once a year, with the object of continuing the work of the Strasbourg Conference and generally promoting the coordination, better utilisation and orderly development of European air transport.

The Report in which these recommendations are contained was transmitted to the Council of Europe by I. C. A. 0. and communicated to the Assembly.

The Governments have accepted the recommendation to set up a European Civil Aviation Conference and its first session will be held in Strasbourg beginning on November 29th, 1955.

The Committee on Economic Questions considers that arrangements should be made to associate the Council of Europe with this new European organisation, in accordance with the policy laid down on several occasions both by the Committee of Ministers and by the Assembly. It is therefore proposed that the Conference should address annual reports to the Assembly in the same way as is already done by 0. E. E. C, the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Conference of Ministers of Transport.

Such action would correspond to the wish already expressed by the Committee of Ministers that links should be established between the Conference and the Council of Europe (Supplementary Report of the Committee of Ministers, September, 1954, Doc. 272, para. 8.)