Civil aviation: common rules, European Aviation Safety Agency

The committee adopted the report by Ingo SCHMITT (EPP-ED, D) amending the proposal under the codecision procedure (1st reading). The proposal was welcomed in that it was in line with a wish first expressed by Parliament several years ago, but the committee wanted the Agency's powers and remit to be extended and felt that the Agency should be more independent of the Commission. It also wanted a decision on the Agency's location to be taken at a later stage by the Council and not by the Commission, as the latter had proposed. Moreover, although English would be the Agency's working language, the committee felt that important documents of a general nature, such as the general annual report and work programme, should be available in all the official languages of the Community. The committee adopted an amendment aimed at defining the scope of the regulation more clearly, in particular with regard to third countries and to aircraft with Community connections and the corresponding personnel. In another amendment, the Commission was asked to submit as soon as possible a proposal on setting up an independent body with the task of issuing recommendations with regard to prevention of aircraft accidents. Such an authority should be set up along the lines of the US National Transportation Safety Board, and would be responsible for looking into the causes and circumstances of accidents and making recommendations. �