EU/International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) agreement: Memorandum of Cooperation

PURPOSE: to conclude a Memorandum of Cooperation between the EU and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: the Commission has negotiated a Memorandum of Cooperation between the European Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization providing a framework for enhanced cooperation, in accordance with the mandate adopted by the Council on 17 December 2009 authorising the Commission to open negotiations.

The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed on behalf of the Union on 4 May 2011 and has been provisionally applied from that date, subject to its possible conclusion at a later date.

The Memorandum of Cooperation should be concluded on behalf of the Union.

IMPACT ASSESSMENT: no impact assessment was carried out.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 100(2), in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a), Article 218(7) and the first subparagraph of Article 218(8) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: by this draft Decision, it is proposed that the Memorandum of Cooperation between the European Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization providing a framework for enhanced cooperation be approved on behalf of the Union.

The Memorandum contains provisions as regards procedural arrangements for the participation of the Union in the Joint Committee established by the Memorandum of Cooperation, the resolution of disputes, the adoption of additional Annexes, as well as the amendment of Annexes to the Memorandum.

For further details of the main points of this Memorandum, please refer to the previous initial legislative document dated 10/03/2011.