The European Parliament adopted by 658 votes to 9, with 30 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol to amend the Air Transport Agreement between the United States of America and the European Community and its Member States.
Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol.
On 25 and 30 April 2007, the European Union signed an overall aviation agreement with the United States, which was amended by a Protocol signed on 24 June 2010 (together referred to as the US-EU ATA). The Protocol expands the scope and depth of the ATA adding provisions to establish a comprehensive aviation partnership with benefits for consumers, airlines and workers.
Since 2007, and pending its entry into force, the US-EU ATA has been administratively applied. During its administrative application, it generated considerable economic benefits to both sides. With the signing of the 2010 Protocol, the EU-US passenger market measured in seat capacity has grown by 4% per year.
The 2010 Protocol added dedicated social provisions, explicitly including a commitment to high labour standards, and environmental provisions in order to establish a framework to tackle the local and global environmental challenges linked to aviation.
The US-EU ATA provides better market access for EU airlines and includes mechanisms to gradually achieve a normalisation of the aviation sector by liberalising foreign ownership. It also gives EU airlines full access to sell tickets to contractors of the US Government and a partial access to the air travel of US Government officials.