§ Mr. JenkinTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to support the establishment of EASA as an international rather than an EU body; and if the rules of EASA are intended to have direct effect and direct applicability in the law of the member states. [116867]
§ Mr. MullinThe Government are committed to taking action with their Community partners on setting up a new aviation safety body which will raise aviation safety standards across Europe in an effective and efficient way.
233WIn June 1998, during the UK Presidency, the Council mandated the Commission to develop, on behalf of the European Community and the member states, a treaty for a new international organisation to be known as the European Aviation Safety Authority, involving both EU and non-EU member states, as well as the Community itself. The mandate required the Commission first to submit a draft outline text of the founding treaty to a Special Committee of member states representatives.
The draft treaty agreed by the Special Committee assumes that the most effective way of achieving uniformly applied, high safety standards was to provide that all EASA rules should be directly applicable in Contracting Parties' law. The draft also provides for extensive judicial control mechanisms. Member states and the Commission have been unable to agree this draft treaty in its entirety and the Commission has suggested an alternative option, based on a community agency. The Council on 28 March agreed that further analysis should be undertaken of the best legal form for EASA.