Parliamentary question - O-0075/2008Parliamentary question
O-0075/2008

Technical requirements and administrative procedures for commercial transportation by aeroplane (EU OPS)/use of child-restraint safety devices (OPS 1.730)

ORAL QUESTION WITH DEBATE O-0075/08
pursuant to Rule 108 of the Rules of Procedure
by Eva Lichtenberger, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism
to the Commission

Document stages in plenary
Document selected :  
O-0075/2008
Texts tabled :
O-0075/2008 (B6-0169/2008)
Votes :
Texts adopted :

The Commission forwarded to Parliament on 29 April 2008 the following draft measure adopted in comitology under the regulatory procedure with scrutiny: draft Commission Regulation (EC) No ... amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3922/1991[1] as regards common technical requirements and administrative procedures applicable to commercial transportation by aeroplane (EU OPS).

 

Under point (3), EU OPS 1.730 authorises use of a child-restraint device, accepted only by the national authority of the country of the carrier company, without any further specifications. The safety of children under two years of age is compromised by the fact that they are not entitled to have their own seats. Two child-restraint methods are commonly used:

 'loop belts' connected to the accompanying adult: evidence from scientific surveys and incident tests in Canada, Australia, the USA and Germany shows that loop belts can kill or severely hurt children. The current regulation may lead to airlines using loop belts on a larger scale.

 'lapholding', as recommended in Germany: protecting a child by clasping it in one's arms during a plane accident is physically impossible.

 

What is more, many infant fatalities do not show up in the statistics, because records often only count accident victims by the number of seats occupied.

 

  1. Is the Commission familiar with the scientific surveys and incident tests on loop belts, indicating their harmful effects, and is it aware of accidents/incidents involving loop belts?

 

  1. Why do the EU OPS not include provisions on certified child-restraint devices and what measures are being envisaged to guarantee the safety of infants and small children on board aeroplanes?

 

  1. How do current EU-OPS regulations (loop belt) tally with the principle of equal protection and non-discrimination for every passenger, including infants and children?

 

  1. Might an appropriate solution be the mandatory provision of child safety seats, subject to adequate certification, as is the case with automobiles?

 

 

Tabled: 26.06.2008

Forwarded: 30.06.2008

Deadline for reply: 07.07.2008