Ensuring basic air connectivity with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union

2018/0433(COD)

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted Pavel's report TELIČKA (ALDE, CZ) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules ensuring basic air connectivity with regard to the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the Union.

The purpose of the proposal is to establish interim measures to govern air transport between the Union and the United Kingdom after the United Kingdom withdraws from the Union, in the absence of an agreement. The proposed act would complement Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council so that basic connectivity is ensured, despite the fact that the regulation will no longer apply to the transport operations in question.

The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal as follows:

Temporary exemption from ownership requirement

The Commission could grant a temporary exemption from the ownership obligation provided for in Article 4(f) of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 at the request of an air carrier, provided that it fulfils a series of conditions. The exemption could be granted for a period not exceeding March 30, 2020 and would not be renewable.

Rights to perform transport services

UK air carriers may perform scheduled and non-scheduled international air transport services, including code-sharing, for passengers, combination of passengers and cargo and all-cargo services between any pair of points of which one is situated in the territory of the United Kingdom and the other one is situated in the territory of the Union

In order to maintain mutually beneficial levels of connectivity, Members believe that commercial cooperation agreements, such as code-sharing, should be foreseen for both British and EU-27 air carriers, in accordance with the principle of reciprocity.

Reciprocity and fair competition

The Commission should be able to adopt delegated acts (rather than implementing acts) in respect of restoring equivalence or remedying situations of unfair competition by appropriate measures.