§ Mr. Steenasked the Secretary of State for Transport if, in view of the decision of the European Court of Justice on 30 April, he will now declare null and void the bilateral tariff and pooling agreement concluded by British Airways and KLM on the Heathrow to Amsterdam route in 1984; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThe European Court of Justice has made it clear that inter-airline agreements cannot automatically be regarded as contrary to article 85(1) of the treaty of Rome, but must be scrutinised and ruled upon to determine their validity. This process can be carried out either under a Council regulation, or by individual member states, or by the Commission. The Government are now considering how best to act in the light of this judgment.