Single European Sky: provision of air navigation services

The Commission considers that the common position does not substantially alter the main objectives and the approach of its proposal and so can support it. Having said this, the Commission would have preferred a stronger commitment by the Council on the issue of promoting environmentally efficient use of airspace (explicit inclusion in the charging scheme, as this would be consistent with the objective of pursuing the introduction of environmental levies within ICAO and with the Council's and European Parliament's decision in the 6th Environment Action Programme to identify and undertake specific actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation if no such action is agreed within ICAO by 2002. While preferring explicit reference to external costs in the cost-base, the Commission considers that the current provisions still implicitly allow modulation of air navigation charges to promote environmental efficiency.�