Politica UE în domeniul aviației trebuie să acorde mai multă atenție nevoilor aeroporturilor regionale, se arată într-o rezoluție adoptată azi de Parlament. Potențialul acestora de impulsionare a dezvoltării regionale și de decongestionare a marilor noduri de trafic aerian ar putea fi favorizat de integrarea acestor aeroporturi în rețelele de transport transeuropene (TEN-T), consideră deputații.

MEPs say the fight against piracy off the east-African coast cannot be won by military means alone. In a resolution adopted on Thursday, by 434 votes to 100, with five abstentions, they urge member states to strengthen the EU naval protection force and finance efforts to tackle the causes of piracy. They also call for special courts for pirates.

The Commission's legislative proposals for more competitive ground-handling services, better usage of take-off and landing slots and a harmonised approach to reduce noise nuisance around airports came under severe fire during a hearing with independent experts, representatives of airlines, airports, national aviation authorities and citizens' NGOs in the Transport and Tourism Committee on Tuesday 8 May.

Proiectele de dezvoltare regională întârziate în țările lovite de criză ar putea demara ca urmare a împărțirii riscurilor investiționale corelate între investitorii publici și cei privați, pe baza măsurilor votate joi în Parlamentul European. Împărțirea riscului ar trebui să stimuleze recuperarea economică, prin asigurarea de capital și depășirea lipsei de interes din partea băncilor de a-și asuma singure riscurile.

The European Agency for Maritime Safety (EMSA) would get new powers to step up cooperation against piracy, prevent maritime pollution, improve training for seafarers and help establish an EU maritime space without barriers under an informal deal struck on Thursday by Parliament’s negotiating team, and the Council’s Danish Presidency.

Liniile aeriene trebuie să dea informații clare și asistență imediată pasagerilor puși în imposibilitatea de a călători, se spune într-o rezoluție adoptată joi de Parlamentul European. Deputații solicită Comisiei să consolideze regulile care prevăd asistența și plățí compensatorii pasagerilor în cazul anulării sau al întârzierilor zborurilor, inclusiv pentru întârzieri mai mari de 6 ore pentru livrarea bagajelor.

"I will think it over again", said Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas after a lively debate with Transport Committee MEPs on Monday. Mr Kallas expressed regret that he had not informed the committee before the news spread that the Commission was lifting the ban on cross-border usage of longer and heavier trucks. "I did not realize that the issue was that sensitive", he argued, since "No Member State will have to accept longer trucks on its territory if it does not wish to".

Stalled regional development projects that crisis-hit countries need to kick-start their recovery, but to which banks will not lend because they lack liquidity or deem them too risky, could win fresh funding if public and private investors were to share the risk, under a proposal backed by the Regional Development Committee on Tuesday.

Parliament's Transport Committee voiced deep concern on Tuesday over the threat of retaliation actions against European airlines if the EU continues implementing the new carbon trading scheme for flights departing and arriving in the EU. While some MEPs recommended abolishing the scheme, others feared a total loss of credibility if the EU gave in to threats from third countries. Later, In an Environment Committee debate on Thursday, most MEPs urged the Commission to stand by the scheme.

All-in air fares, airline employees able to help stranded passengers immediately, passengers being repatriated when airlines go bust are the key requests set out in a resolution on air passengers' rights voted by the Transport and Tourism Committee on Tuesday.