REPORT on developing a Common Aviation Area with Israel

23.2.2009 - (2008/2136(INI))

Committee on Transport and Tourism
Rapporteur: Luca Romagnoli

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on developing a Common Aviation Area with Israel

(2008/2136(INI))

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the Commission Communication of 9 November 2007 entitled ‘Developing a Common Aviation Area with Israel’ (COM(2007)0691),

–   having regard to its resolution of 17 January 2006 on developing the agenda for the Community's external aviation policy[1],

–   having regard to Rule 45 of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A6‑0090/2009),

A. whereas convergence of regulations is a precondition for the successful conclusion of comprehensive air agreements, especially in relation to regulations on safety, security, competition, State aid, the environment and the employment rights of workers,

B.  whereas, when negotiating a comprehensive air transport agreement with Israel, the Commission has to draw on the expertise and information of Member States and other interested parties and has to involve them before, during and after negotiations,

C. whereas Israel is the most important aviation market in the Middle East with a strong growth potential, and whereas it has a strategic position as a bridge between Europe and the Middle East and towards regions which are further away,

1.  Welcomes the commencement of the negotiations with Israel on a comprehensive air transport agreement;

2.  Stresses the importance of the agreement in terms of creating the conditions for extending the Common Aviation Area;

3.  Emphasises that the agreement should not limit the level of market access already achieved in the existing bilateral agreements;

4.  Stresses that the agreement should be balanced in terms of market access; furthermore market opening needs to be phased, reciprocal and sustainable;

5.  Emphasises that the opening-up of markets must always follow regulatory convergence with regard to safety, security, environmental, State aid and competition law aspects, and also the employment rights of the workers and that the degree of liberalisation has to be linked to the degree to which a level playing field is achieved in these areas;

6.  Recognises that for long and medium haul air routes, the aviation sector is the fastest way to connect countries, places and people and will continue to be the most attractive means of transport in terms of speed and cost in the future;

7.  Recognises, the important contribution of the aviation sector in creating work, both directly and indirectly, particularly linking places of the world where no other competitive means of transport is now available; nonetheless encourages the use and development of intermodality and other means of transport;

8.  Recognises that the aviation sector has certain negative environmental effects, in particular as a source of noise and as a significant contributor to pollutant emissions; therefore considers it essential that the agreement allows for the possibility to take action within the European Union with respect to environmental issues in order to mitigate the impact of aviation on water, air quality and noise levels;

9.  Underlines that the agreement should provide for stringent air safety and security rules;

10.  Stresses that negotiations should be carried out in close cooperation with the Member States, given that they have the necessary expertise and experience to assist with such negotiations;

11.  Calls on the Commission to ensure that the Parliament and all relevant stakeholders are fully informed and consulted throughout the negotiations;

12.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the government and parliament of the State of Israel.

• [1]  OJ C 287 E, 24.11.1006, p. 84.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The negotiations

In its Communication on Developing a Common Aviation Area with Israel the European Commission proposed the negotiation and conclusion of a comprehensive open aviation agreement with Israel and invited the Council to authorise the Commission to enter into negotiations on such an agreement.

In April 2008 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, within the limits of their respective competencies, with Israel with a view to establishing a comprehensive air transport agreement.

After several preparatory meetings the first negotiation round between the Commission and Israel was held on 9-10th December 2008 in Brussels, where the parties agreed on the broad principles of a future comprehensive agreement such as gradual market opening and regulatory cooperation. They also identified specific subjects which require more in depth discussions such as traffic rights, slots, wet-leasing, security, competition and the progressive implementation of regulatory convergence. The next round of negotiations is scheduled for the first quarter of 2009.

The background of the negotiations

Israel is an important partner for the EU in the Middle-East and in the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy. EU relations with Israel are governed by the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership established through the EU-Israel Association Agreement and the regional dimension of the Barcelona Process. The Association Agreement includes the objective to strengthen cooperation in the field of transport, provides for regulatory cooperation between the parties, especially in the areas of aviation safety and security, and encourages technological and research cooperation in the transport sector, including aviation.

In December 2004 both sides endorsed a joint EU-Israel ENP Action Plan to support Israel’s objective to further integrate into the European economic and social structures. The Action Plan entered into force on April 2005. The priorities outlined in the Action Plan are an increased cooperation in the field of civil aviation, including air traffic management (involvement in the Single European Sky), safety and security issues, as well as a mutual recognition agreement on airworthiness and exploring the possibilities for a comprehensive aviation agreement.

Furthermore, the European Commission held horizontal negotiations with Israel with a view to resolving the legal issues raised by the European Court of Justice in the "Open Skies" cases, such as community designation, taxation of aviation fuel and pricing. The negotiated agreement was signed on the 9th of December 2008 and the Parliament will be consulted on the conclusion of this horizontal Agreement soon. On the occasion of the signature of the horizontal agreement, the Israeli side confirmed its commitment to negotiate a comprehensive air transport agreement with the EU.

The aim of these negotiations is to conclude a comprehensive agreement on a Common Aviation Area with Israel combining market opening with a parallel process of regulatory co-operation and/or convergence through mutual recognition in key areas of the EU aviation legislation. These priority areas include aviation safety, security, environmental protection and the application of state aid and competition rules aiming at ensuring a level playing field and fair and equal conditions for competition.

Israel is one of the European Union's biggest trading partners in the Euromed area. It is associated to the European Community's Framework Programme for Research and Technical Development. The EU and Israel have also initialled an agreement on Israel's participation in Galileo. Israel has bilateral air services agreements with 21 Member States as well as with a significant number of other international partners. Israel is also a growing tourism market for Europe, which results in enhanced demand for air services.

For Community carriers Israel is a very important market. More than half of the air traffic to/from Israel (5.5 million passengers in 2007) is with EU Member States.

Israel is a long-standing member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and is a signatory to other multilateral aviation agreements. Israel takes its ICAO obligations very seriously and proactively supports consistency and quality in international aviation regulation. Israeli air transport has a solid safety performance record and its aviation security is probably the most stringent in the world. Israel is committed to environmental protection, furthermore its airline employees enjoy good social protections and exhibit a high level of professionalism. Licensing of airlines is carried out in a stringent manner. Israel applies high standards in the operation and regulation of its air transport, which provides a solid basis for regulatory convergence with the EU acquis on aviation. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Israel have already signed a working arrangement covering airworthiness certifications.

The Member States and Israel have traditionally negotiated restricted bilateral air services agreements with a reduced level of market opening and strict market conditions for operators. A Community level aviation agreement would establish a level playing field for all Community and Israeli air carriers and would allow passengers in all Member States to benefit from similar conditions and increased competition between air carriers that may lead to more, cheaper and better air services between the EU and Israel.

It is for the EU to ensure the implementation of common standards compatible with European standards in its economic relations with the Mediterranean partners. This is only possible through a comprehensive agreement negotiated at Community level which provides for regulatory cooperation or, as a minimum, mutual recognition of aviation standards and procedures.

Based on the above your rapporteur believes that the comprehensive negotiation with Israel is a fundamental step towards further development of the EU-Israeli aviation relations and the extension of the Common Aviation Area in the whole Euromed Area. The conclusion of the agreement will result in increasing opportunities of economic and social development for the air carriers and passengers as well.

At the same time it is necessary to handle the environmental consequences of the growing traffic and to ensure a level playing field. It is also essential to ensure continuous information flow between the Commission, Member States, Parliament and stakeholders.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted	17.2.2009
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	34 1 3
Members present for the final vote	Gabriele Albertini, Etelka Barsi-Pataky, Paolo Costa, Michael Cramer, Luis de Grandes Pascual, Arūnas Degutis, Petr Duchoň, Saïd El Khadraoui, Emanuel Jardim Fernandes, Francesco Ferrari, Georg Jarzembowski, Stanisław Jałowiecki, Timothy Kirkhope, Jaromír Kohlíček, Sepp Kusstatscher, Jörg Leichtfried, Bogusław Liberadzki, Eva Lichtenberger, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Erik Meijer, Reinhard Rack, Ulrike Rodust, Luca Romagnoli, Brian Simpson, Renate Sommer, Dirk Sterckx, Ulrich Stockmann, Michel Teychenné, Silvia-Adriana Ţicău
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Zsolt László Becsey, Johannes Blokland, Philip Bradbourn, Luigi Cocilovo, Jas Gawronski, Pedro Guerreiro, Lily Jacobs, Rosa Miguélez Ramos, Corien Wortmann-Kool