Developing the agenda for the Community's external aviation policy

PURPOSE : to develop the agenda for the Community’s external aviation policy.

CONTENT : 2 years after the “Open Skies” judgements affirming EU competence in certain aspects of international aviation agreements, the Commission presents a strategic approach to develop the external approach of the internal aviation market. Apart from aligning the existing bilateral agreements through the promotion of more effective complementarity between the tools available and active coordination

between Member States and the Commission, the roadmap for implementing the EC external aviation policy incorporates two complementary objectives:

- Creation by 2010 of a Common Aviation Area comprising the EC and all its partners located along its southern and eastern borders, with a view to achieving a high degree of economic and regulatory integration of aviation markets in this area. The various parties would share the same market operation rules, not only from an economic point of view but also with regard to air traffic, security or air safety.

Its creation is also a sectoral contribution to the Union’s neighbourhood policy. Agreements are being negociated with Morocco and the Western Balkans.

- Launching in the short term of targeted negotiations seeking to achieve global agreements in the major regions of the world, with the aim of strengthening the prospects for promoting European industry and ensuring fair competition in the most dynamic world markets, while at the same time helping to reform international civil aviation.

This agenda will involve the following short-term stages:

- negotiation, at a sustained pace, of horizontal agreements finalising and accelerating the alignment of existing agreements with Community law, as secured by the Member States in their bilateral relations;

- opening of new negotiations aimed at achieving global agreements, starting with negotiations involving China and Russia;

- successful conclusion of the agreements currently being negotiated and, in particular, those involving the United States.

Furthermore, this agenda will need to evolve in total synergy with the promotion of sustainable development in the aviation sector. By acting with a single voice, the Community will be best placed to counter the negative effects on the environment of the growth of the aviation sector, notably in terms of climate change.