International aviation agreements

19.10.2016

Question for oral answer O-000128/2016
to the Commission
Rule 128
Michael Cramer, on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism

The Commission adopted an Aviation Strategy for Europe in December 2015. As part of the Aviation Strategy, it was proposed to open negotiations on EU-level aviation safety agreements with Japan and China and air services agreements with the following countries: China, Turkey, Mexico, six Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Armenia, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The Council authorised the Commission to start negotiations on aviation safety agreements with China and Japan on 8 March 2016 and on EU-level air services agreements with ASEAN, Turkey, Qatar and United Arab Emirates on 7 June 2016. The Council is still deliberating on draft negotiating directives for opening negotiations on EU-level air service agreements with: China, Mexico, Armenia, and the remaining four Member States of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism would like to ask the following questions of the Commission:

What are the objectives, issues at stake and timeframes envisaged for negotiating the aviation agreements for which the Commission received the negotiating directives?

What is the state of play in the Council concerning the remaining negotiating directives?

How does the Commission intend to ensure that the European Parliament is immediately and fully informed at all stages of negotiations in accordance with Article 218(10) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union?

How does the Commission intend to ensure appropriate transparency and access to documents during the course of the negotiations?

Can the Commission give assurances that the European Parliament will be debriefed in parallel to the Council, before and after each negotiating round?

Can the Commission confirm it will not seek provisional application of concluded aviation agreements before the European Parliament has given consent to the agreement?