AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, SESAR (15143/05)
Letter from Gillian Merron MP, Parliamentary
Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport to the Chairman
I am writing to you to bring your Committee
up to date with developments on the draft Regulation establishing
the SESAR Joint Undertaking.
You will recall that I wrote, in June,[18]
to inform you that the Transport Council had reached a General
Approach on the text of the draft Regulation. The UK supported
the General Approach as we had managed to secure a number of improvements
to the text, in particular concerning the role of Eurocontrol
and the need to address concerns over the conflict of interest
that could have arisen from Eurocontrol being both a contractor
and the contract manager for SESAR's research and development
activities. A new provision on the avoidance of conflicts of interest
had been added to the Statutes of the Joint Undertaking together
with a requirement for Eurocontrol's role to be defined in a formal
agreement. This agreement will specify Eurocontrol's tasks and
responsibilities in the implementation of the ATM Master Plan
under the authority of the Joint Undertaking.
The European Parliament's Committee on Industry,
Research and Energy, in consultation with the Committee on Transport
and Tourism, has considered the Commission's proposal and suggested
a number of amendments. The Parliament's amendments fall into
three main areas: clarification of roles and responsibilities;
avoidance of conflicts of interest and strengthening the role
of the European Parliament. We support many of the proposals Parliament
is putting forward, in particular the need to specify Eurocontrol's
tasks and responsibilities within a formal agreement and the introduction
of specific provisions to address concerns over the conflict of
interest that could have arisen from Eurocontrol being both a
contractor and the contract manager for SESAR's research and development
activities. These are welcome additions and echo similar changes
that have already been incorporated into the General Approach
text reached by Council. However, we are concerned that Parliament's
proposal to remove the possibility of a reduced subscription (€5
million instead of €10 million) for members that subscribe
to the Joint Undertaking within 12 months of its formation could
damage the business case for industry to become members of the
Joint Undertaking. Similarly, we believe that Parliament's proposals
to give itself an active role in the decision-making process of
the Joint Undertaking would be unnecessarily bureaucratic. The
Administrative Board should have the necessary decision-making
powers to ensure the effective operation of the Joint Undertaking.
However, even if adopted by the European Parliament, it is unlikely
that these amendments will be accepted by Council. The draft Regulation
is not subject to co-decision.
Parliament is expected to adopt its final opinion
on these amendments at is plenary session on 14 November 2006.
The Finnish Presidency has indicated that, following the vote
in the European Parliament, it will look to finalise this dossier
as soon as possible, perhaps as early as the December Transport
Council.
8 November 2006
Letter from the Chairman to Gillian Merron
MP
Thank you for your letter of 8 November 2006,
Sub-Committee B considered your letter at its meeting on 27 November.
We were grateful to you for your update on the
Joint Undertaking, following the report of the European Parliament
Industry, Research and Energy Committee, which we understand was
adopted by the Parliament on 14 November.
We share your misgivings over those amendments
from the Parliament which relate to the members' subscription
fee in the first 12 months and for the greater role of the Parliament
in the Joint Undertaking's decision making process.
We are reassured by your view that Council is
likely to reject these amendments, and understand that the draft
Regulation will indeed be included on the agenda for agreement
at the Transport Council Meeting on 11 December.
As our major concerns over the role of Eurocontrol
have been addressed, we are content to lift scrutiny ahead of
this Council Meeting.
29 November 2006
Letter from Gillian Merron MP to the Chairman
Further to my letter of 8 November bringing
your Committee up to date with developments on the draft Regulation
establishing the SESAR Joint Undertaking ahead of the European
Parliament's (EP) debate on it, I am writing to update you further
now the debate has taken place.
The EP in Plenary Session on 14 November gave
a positive Opinion on the amendments to the Regulation put forward
by its Committee on Industry, Research and Energy, in consultation
with the Committee on Transport and Tourism, and this Opinion
has been delivered to the Council.
My previous letter set out in detail our view
on the EP's proposed amendments. I also explained that because
this Regulation is subject to the consultation rather than co-decision
procedure the Council is not obliged to accept all the amendments.
The amendments have now been considered by the Transport Working
Group and the adopted amendments do not substantively alter the
General Approach text reached by Ministers at the June Transport
Council. You will particularly wish to note that the two amendments
which gave us concern (the EP proposals to remove the possibility
of a reduced subscription for members subscribing to the Joint
Undertaking within 12 months of its formation, and to give itself
an active role in the decision-making process of the Joint Undertaking)
have not been adopted by the Council. The Regulation has now appeared
on the preliminary Agenda of the December Transport Council for
"political agreement".
1 December 2006
Letter from the Chairman to Gillian Merron
MP
Thank you for your letter of 1 December 2006,
Sub-Committee B considered your letter at its meeting on 11 December.
We were grateful to you for confirming that
the Transport Council will not adopt either of the European Parliament's
amendments which were of concern. As you will be aware, we cleared
this document from scrutiny in my letter to you of 29 November.
12 December 2006
18 Correspondence with Ministers, 40th Report of Session
2006-07, HL Paper 187, p 58. Back
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