§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what communication he has received from the Commission on proposals to create a European common aviation area, an aviation safety agency, and amendments to regulation 95/93 concerning airport slot allocation, and proposals for strengthening the powers of Eurocontrol air traffic services; and when each of their numbered programme initiatives are due for consideration at(a) UKREP and (b) the Transport Council. [122680]
§ Mr. MullinThe initiatives are due for consideration at(a) UKREP and (b) the Transport Council. The European Commission was granted a mandate in 1996 to negotiate a European Common Aviation Area with 10 Central and Eastern European countries. The negotiation process is now largely completed and the Commission hopes that it will be able to present a final Agreement for signature at a Transport Council later this year.
With regard to communication on the establishment of a European aviation safety authority, I refer my hon. Friend to my answer given on 16 May 2000, Official Report, column 83W. At the Transport Council on 28 March 2000, the Council agreed that further analysis should be undertaken of the best legal form for the EASA, with the aim of taking a decision at its June meeting.
There has been no recent communication on amendments to regulation 95/93 concerning airport slot allocation.
The Commission's Communication entitled "The creation of a single European sky", to which I also referred in my answer of 16 May 2000, did not include proposals for strengthening the legal powers of Eurocontrol air traffic services. Rather it envisaged measures to strengthen the provision of air traffic control services in Europe. To that extent, it is fully in line with the Government's proposals for a Public Private Partnership for NATS, which will enhance aviation safety through securing the investment needed for NATS' modernisation programme and the injection of key management skills to deliver that programme to time and budget.
In June 1998 the Transport Council, under UK Presidency, agreed a mandate for the Commission to negotiate Community accession to Eurocontrol. EC membership of Eurocontrol would not strengthen the legal 538W powers of Eurocontrol but would provide the impetus for both the reform of the Eurocontrol organisation, and to compel States to make collective commitments and to implement decisions on measures to improve the European Air Traffic Management System. The terms of Community accession to Eurocontrol are now effectively agreed, but the Commission cannot bring forward a proposal for the Council to authorise Community signature of the Protocol until the UK and Spain reach agreement on the inclusion of Gibraltar within the territorial scope of the Protocol.