RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol to amend the Air Transport Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community and its Member States
03.12.2021 - (06385/2021 – C9‑0368/2021 – 2010/0112(NLE)) - ***
Committee on Transport and Tourism
Rapporteur: Maria Grapini
DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION
on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol to amend the Air Transport Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community and its Member States
(06385/2021 – C9‑0368/2021 – 2010/0112(NLE))
(Consent)
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the draft Council decision (06385/2021),
– having regard to the draft Protocol to amend the Air Transport Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community and its Members States[1] (09913/2010),
– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 100(2) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C9‑0368/2021),
– having regard to Rule 105(1) and (4) and Rule 114(7) of its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Transport and Tourism (A9-0335/2021),
1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol;
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
Procedure
On 25 and 30 April 2007, the European Union signed an overall aviation agreement with the United States, which was amended by a Protocol signed on 24 June 2010 (together referred to as the US-EU ATA)[2]. The Protocol expands the scope and depth of the ATA adding provisions to establish a comprehensive aviation partnership with benefits for consumers, airlines and workers.
The Council has now requested the European Parliament’s consent to the US-EU ATA, in compliance with Article 218 TFEU.
In accordance with Rules 105 and 114 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, the Committee responsible (TRAN) shall submit a recommendation for the approval or rejection of the proposed act. Amendments at Committee level shall be admissible only with the aim to reverse the recommendation proposed by the rapporteur. Parliament shall then take a decision by means of a single vote, and no amendments to the agreement may be tabled.
Content
Since 2007, and pending its entry into force, the US-EU ATA has been administratively applied. During its administrative application, it generated considerable economic benefits to both sides. With the signing of the 2010 Protocol, the EU-US passenger market measured in seat capacity has grown by 4% per year.
The agreement has also contributed to unprecedented transatlantic connectivity, with individual city pairs growing by 5% per year since the Protocol was signed – reaching more than 250 routes in 2019. In 2019, more than 47 million passengers travelled between the EU and the US, representing 9% of all passengers travelling in and out of the Union, and being by far the largest intercontinental market. Since the signing of the ATA, passengers have benefitted from average savings of €230 for each trip to the US.
For cargo, the US is the largest extra-EU market, representing more than 20% of all goods transported to or from the EU by air.
The 2010 Protocol added dedicated social provisions, explicitly including a commitment to high labour standards, and environmental provisions in order to establish a framework to tackle the local and global environmental challenges linked to aviation. This was ground-breaking as these issues were included for the first time in an aviation agreement.
The US-EU ATA provides better market access for EU airlines and includes mechanisms to gradually achieve a normalisation of the aviation sector by liberalising foreign ownership. It also gives EU airlines full access to sell tickets to contractors of the US Government and a partial access to the air travel of US Government officials.
FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
46 |
+ |
ECR |
Carlo Fidanza, Peter Lundgren, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Kosma Złotowski |
ID |
Paolo Borchia, Marco Campomenosi, Massimo Casanova, Julie Lechanteux, Philippe Olivier |
NI |
Mario Furore |
PPE |
Magdalena Adamowicz, Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, Gheorghe Falcă, Jens Gieseke, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Benoît Lutgen, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Massimiliano Salini, Barbara Thaler, Henna Virkkunen, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Lucia Vuolo |
RENEW |
José Ramón Bauzá Díaz, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Søren Gade, Elsi Katainen, Caroline Nagtegaal, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Dominique Riquet |
S&D |
Andris Ameriks, Ismail Ertug, Giuseppe Ferrandino, Isabel García Muñoz, Maria Grapini, Bogusław Liberadzki, Rovana Plumb, Vera Tax, István Ujhelyi, Petar Vitanov |
THE LEFT |
Elena Kountoura |
VERTS/ALE |
Ciarán Cuffe, Jakop G. Dalunde, Karima Delli, Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg, Tilly Metz |
0 |
- |
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2 |
0 |
The Left |
Clare Daly, Kateřina Konečná |
Key to symbols:
+ : in favour
- : against
0 : abstention
PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE
Title |
EC-US air transport agreement |
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References |
06385/2021 – C9-0368/2021 – 15381/2010 – C7-0385/2010 – 2010/0112(NLE) |
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Date of consultation / request for consent |
22.11.2010 |
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Committee responsible Date announced in plenary |
TRAN 4.10.2021 |
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Rapporteurs Date appointed |
Maria Grapini 15.10.2021 |
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Discussed in committee |
15.11.2021 |
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Date adopted |
1.12.2021 |
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Result of final vote |
+: –: 0: |
46 0 2 |
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Members present for the final vote |
Magdalena Adamowicz, Andris Ameriks, José Ramón Bauzá Díaz, Izaskun Bilbao Barandica, Paolo Borchia, Karolin Braunsberger-Reinhold, Marco Campomenosi, Massimo Casanova, Ciarán Cuffe, Jakop G. Dalunde, Karima Delli, Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg, Ismail Ertug, Gheorghe Falcă, Giuseppe Ferrandino, Mario Furore, Søren Gade, Isabel García Muñoz, Jens Gieseke, Elsi Katainen, Kateřina Konečná, Elena Kountoura, Julie Lechanteux, Bogusław Liberadzki, Peter Lundgren, Benoît Lutgen, Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska, Marian-Jean Marinescu, Tilly Metz, Cláudia Monteiro de Aguiar, Caroline Nagtegaal, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Philippe Olivier, Rovana Plumb, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Dominique Riquet, Massimiliano Salini, Vera Tax, Barbara Thaler, István Ujhelyi, Henna Virkkunen, Petar Vitanov, Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi, Lucia Vuolo, Kosma Złotowski |
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Substitutes present for the final vote |
Clare Daly, Carlo Fidanza, Maria Grapini |
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Date tabled |
3.12.2021 |
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