RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of Amendment 1 to the Memorandum of Cooperation NAT-I-9406 between the United States of America and the European Union

22.6.2018 - (05800/2018 – C8‑0122/2018 – 2018/0009(NLE)) - ***

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy
Rapporteur: Rolandas Paksas

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of Amendment 1 to the Memorandum of Cooperation NAT-I-9406 between the United States of America and the European Union

(05800/2018 – C8‑0122/2018 – 2018/0009(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–  having regard to the draft Council decision (05800/2018),

–  having regard to Amendment 1 to Memorandum of Cooperation NAT-I-9406 between the United States of America and the European Union (14031/2017).

–  having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 100(2), Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), and Article 218(7), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C8-0122/2018),

–  having regard to Rule 99(1) and (4) and Rule 108(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–  having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A8-0214/2018),

1.  Gives its consent to conclusion of the agreement;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the United States of America.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Sharing the common goal to develop safer and more efficient air transport, in 2011, the European Union and the United States of America signed the Memorandum of Cooperation between the United States of America and the European Union in civil aviation research and development (MoC). The cooperative activities carried out so far under the MoC mainly address air traffic management (ATM) systems, in particular the cooperation in the field of research and development (R&D) between the SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) project, the technological component of the Single European Sky (SES) initiative and NextGen, the programme managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). At that time, these two programmes were both in their research and development phases, which justified the initial focus of cooperation on research, development and validation activities.

Cooperation under the MoC, in particular between SESAR and NextGen, has now reached a high level of maturity and has delivered important results in terms of promoting global interoperability of ATM systems. This led the two parties to explore the potential for extending the scope of cooperation to topics relating to the deployment of ATM systems. On this basis, the Council authorised the Commission on 8 May 2017 to negotiate with the FAA concerning an amendment to the MoC to extend its scope to cover deployment.

The Amendment to 1 the MoC was negotiated between the Commission and the FAA and, on the basis of a corresponding Council Decision, was signed on 13 December 2017 on behalf of the Union while the present Decision follows its adoption process. The amendment builds entirely on the same objectives and principles that underlie the existing MoC. The extension of the scope of cooperation between the Union and the USA to all phases of ATM modernisation including deployment represents the natural evolution of the work successfully carried out under the current MoC. As indicated in the Commission's proposal to open negotiations to amend the MoC, the best option was to amend the scope of the existing MoC to encompass all phases of ATM modernisation, including deployment, within the scope of the Single European Sky policy, while limiting the scope of cooperation on non-ATM civil aviation topics to the field of research and development. The advantage of this approach is that the MoC would continue to cater for cooperation on any non-ATM civil aviation research and development topic while preserving the already negotiated binding cooperative framework with the USA.

The proposed Decision aims to authorise the entry into force of Amendment 1 to the MoC signed by the representatives of the Union and of the United States on the basis of a corresponding Council Decision. The amendment includes the revised main text of the MoC and a revised Annex 1 on "ATM modernisation and global interoperability". This initiative complies with the EU’s political priorities with regards to the internal market, growth and jobs and the European Union as a global actor. The recommendation is consistent with the EU’s Research and Innovation policy and the Trans-European Networks policy on which the SESAR research and development and deployment frameworks are based.

As rapporteur I firmly believe that it is in the EU’s interest to give the consent to the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of Amendment 1 to the Memorandum of Cooperation NAT-I-9406 between the United States of America and the European Union.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title	Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of Amendment 1 to the Memorandum of Cooperation NAT-I-9406 between the United States of America and the European Union
References	05800/2018 – C8-0122/2018 – COM(2018)0027 – 2018/0009(NLE)
Date of consultation / request for consent	19.3.2018
Committee responsible        Date announced in plenary	ITRE 16.4.2018
Committees asked for opinions        Date announced in plenary	TRAN 16.4.2018
Not delivering opinions        Date of decision	TRAN 19.2.2018
Rapporteurs        Date appointed	Rolandas Paksas 21.2.2018
Discussed in committee	16.5.2018
Date adopted	19.6.2018
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	58 2 0
Members present for the final vote	Zigmantas Balčytis, Nikolay Barekov, Bendt Bendtsen, José Blanco López, David Borrelli, Jonathan Bullock, Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, Reinhard Bütikofer, Jerzy Buzek, Edward Czesak, Jakop Dalunde, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Christian Ehler, Fredrick Federley, Ashley Fox, Adam Gierek, Theresa Griffin, András Gyürk, Kaja Kallas, Barbara Kappel, Krišjānis Kariņš, Seán Kelly, Jeppe Kofod, Peter Kouroumbashev, Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Christelle Lechevalier, Edouard Martin, Angelika Mlinar, Dan Nica, Angelika Niebler, Rolandas Paksas, Aldo Patriciello, Morten Helveg Petersen, Miroslav Poche, Paul Rübig, Massimiliano Salini, Algirdas Saudargas, Sven Schulze, Neoklis Sylikiotis, Dario Tamburrano, Evžen Tošenovský, Claude Turmes, Vladimir Urutchev, Kathleen Van Brempt, Henna Virkkunen, Martina Werner, Lieve Wierinck, Anna Záborská, Flavio Zanonato, Carlos Zorrinho
Substitutes present for the final vote	Françoise Grossetête, Benedek Jávor, Werner Langen, Olle Ludvigsson, Marisa Matias, Rupert Matthews, Dominique Riquet, Michèle Rivasi, Maria Spyraki
Substitutes under Rule 200(2) present for the final vote	Mary Honeyball
Date tabled	22.6.2018

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

58	+
ALDE	Fredrick Federley, Kaja Kallas, Angelika Mlinar, Morten Helveg Petersen, Dominique Riquet, Lieve Wierinck
ECR	Nikolay Barekov, Edward Czesak, Ashley Fox, Rupert Matthews, Evžen Tošenovský
EFDD	Jonathan Bullock, Rolandas Paksas, Dario Tamburrano
ENF	Barbara Kappel, Christelle Lechevalier
NI	David Borrelli
PPE	Bendt Bendtsen, Cristian-Silviu Buşoi, Jerzy Buzek, Pilar del Castillo Vera, Christian Ehler, Françoise Grossetête, András Gyürk, Krišjānis Kariņš, Seán Kelly, Werner Langen, Angelika Niebler, Aldo Patriciello, Paul Rübig, Massimiliano Salini, Algirdas Saudargas, Sven Schulze, Maria Spyraki, Vladimir Urutchev, Henna Virkkunen, Anna Záborská
S&D	Zigmantas Balčytis, José Blanco López, Adam Gierek, Theresa Griffin, Mary Honeyball, Jeppe Kofod, Peter Kouroumbashev, Miapetra Kumpula-Natri, Olle Ludvigsson, Edouard Martin, Dan Nica, Miroslav Poche, Kathleen Van Brempt, Martina Werner, Flavio Zanonato, Carlos Zorrinho
VERTS/ALE	Reinhard Bütikofer, Jakop Dalunde, Benedek Jávor, Michèle Rivasi, Claude Turmes

2	-
GUE/NGL	Marisa Matias, Neoklis Sylikiotis

0	0

Key to symbols:

+  :  in favour

-  :  against

0  :  abstention