4 Aviation agreements
| (27406)
8248/06
COM(06)145
| Draft Decision on the signature and provisional application of the Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States and the Kingdom of Morocco
Draft Decision on the conclusion of the Euro-Mediterranean Aviation Agreement between the European Community and its Member States and the Kingdom of Morocco
|
| Legal base | Articles 80 and 300EC; consultation; QMV
|
| Document originated | 30 March 2006
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 5 April 2006
|
| Department | Transport |
| Basis of consideration | EM of 27 April 2006
|
| Previous Committee Report | None
|
| To be discussed in Council | Not known
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | Not cleared; further information requested
|
Background
4.1 Since 1987 a single market for air services in the Community
has been progressively established. Community legislation has
extended the scope of this single market beyond purely economic
matters to embrace the areas of safety, security, air traffic
management, social harmonisation and the environment. The Community
has the competence to conclude air services agreements with third
countries and to require meanwhile revision of bilateral air services
agreements to eliminate provisions discriminatory against other
Member States.
The document
4.2 These draft Decisions would authorise the signature, provisional
application and conclusion of an aviation agreement between the
Community and the Member States on the one hand and Morocco on
the other.
4.3 The agreement would:
- integrate Morocco into the
Community's single aviation market;
- provide for alignment of Morocco's aviation legislation
with that of the Community in relation to safety, security, air
traffic management, economic regulation competition, environmental
standards, social harmonisation and consumer protection; and
- supersede in almost every respect bilateral air
services agreements between Member States and Morocco.
4.4 The agreement includes wording about suspension
of its application to Gibraltar airport.[7]
The Government's view
4.5 The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department
of Transport (Mr Derek Twigg) says that the Government supports
this agreement, which would provide airlines with opportunities
to operate services between any points within the Community and
Morocco. He adds that UK aviation interests have been involved
in the negotiations and that there are no financial implications
that would affect the Government or UK industry.
Conclusion
4.6 The proposal to endorse this agreement seems
very largely unexceptionable. However, we are uncertain as to
how this agreement relates, if at all, to the multilateral air
services agreement creating a European Common Aviation Area covering
the Member States of the Community and other European countries,
which we have presently under scrutiny.[8]
Moreover, we note, as with the multilateral agreement, the proposed
suspension of the application of the agreement with Morocco to
Gibraltar airport.
4.7 Before considering the document further we
should like to know from the Government:
- how this agreement relates,
if it does, to the multilateral agreement;
- the practical effect of the suspension of
the agreement in relation to Gibraltar airport, particularly whether
supersession of the UK bilateral air services agreement with Morocco
would put Gibraltar in a more disadvantageous position that at
present; and
- what consultations there have been with the
Gibraltar Government on this aspect of the ongoing airport issue.
4.8 Meanwhile we do not clear the document.
7 "… application of this Agreement to Gibraltar
airport is understood to be without prejudice to the respective
legal positions of the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom
with regard to the dispute over sovereignty over the territory
in which the airport is situated; application of this Agreement
to Gibraltar airport shall be suspended until the arrangements
in the Joint Declaration made by the Foreign Ministers of the
Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom on December 2 1987 enter
into operation." Back
8
See (27378) 7596/06: HC 34-xxvi (2005-06), para 11 (26 April 2006). Back
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