European air transport policies
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 22 and 23 April 1985 (1st and 2nd Sittings) (see Doc. 5383, report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development). Text adopted by the Assembly on 23 April 1985 (2nd Sitting).
- Thesaurus
The Assembly,
1. Considering the report on European air transport policies of its Committee on Economic Affairs and Development (
Doc. 5383) ;
2. Considering that the intra-European air transport market has become sufficiently mature so that the interests of both airlines and consumers can be best served by increased competition between airlines within the constraints imposed by safety considerations ;
3. Welcoming, in this connection, recent developments within the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), the European Communities, as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA), allowing for greater competition and tariff innovation in the European air transport industry ;
4. Reiterating that pooling agreements on revenues and capacity between airlines can have an unduly restrictive effect on competition between airlines, and that sufficient safeguards should be established to ensure that such agreements are not applied to the detriment of the user ;
5. Being of the opinion that the proposals made in the second memorandum on civil aviation of the Commission of the European Communities constitute a constructive basis for the adoption of measures designed to achieve greater flexibility and competition in respect of tariff setting, market access, route development, capacity regulation and other more consumer-oriented policies ;
6. Stressing the need for closer European cooperation in the field of air transport at the level of all ECAC and Council of Europe member states, in order to establish a regulatory air transport system common to all these states which should allow for more innovative, efficient and consumer-oriented policies ;
7. Stressing the importance of strengthening co-operation between the Assembly and the European Parliament with the aim of establishing such a European air transport system,
8. Invites ECAC to adopt a statement on an intra-European air transport policy, taking into account, among other things, the concepts put forward in the report on competition in intra-European air services (Compas report) with a view to promoting a more innovative, competitive and efficient air transport system in all ECAC and Council of Europe member states ;
9. Invites ECAC and its member states to allow the Commission of the European Communities to take part fully in ECAC's work ;
10. Calls on the governments of the Council of Europe and ECAC member states :
10.1 to promote a more consumer-oriented European air transport system on the lines of concepts under consideration within ECAC, and those contained in the Compas report, and of the second memorandum on civil aviation of the Commission of the European Communities, in particular with regard to the introduction of more flexibility and fair competition in respect of fare setting, market access, route development and capacity regulation ;
10.2 to promote policies designed to reduce airport landing, parking and en route navigation charges and the cost of airport services ;
10.3 to develop air transport within Europe by making access of airlines — including airlines which offer complementary services — to new or existing routes easier when existing rights in bilateral agreements are unused and/or the relevant national airlines are not interested in operating these routes ;
10.4 to do away with unnecessary restrictions on charter prices, and to allow charter airlines to develop their activities with sufficient safeguards to ensure continued, reliable and safe air transport service, while taking into account basic differences between scheduled and charter services ;
10.5 to encourage ECAC's work in the field of air transport security and on the simplification or elimination of formalities for the clearance of passengers with due respect to security requirements ;
10.6 to develop genuine European integration in the area of air traffic control by bringing about closer co-ordination between national air control authorities and the international expertise of Euro-control, which is financed by and responsible to a limited number of European governments, so as to increase safety, the optimal use of airspace and fuel, whilst reducing delays, detours, postponements, cancellations of flights and consequently costs ;
10.7 to continue to remain particularly vigilant on aircraft noise abatement and pollution in conformity with earlier recommendations of the Assembly.
