The committee adopted the own-initiative report by
Roberts ZILE on relations with the Russian
Federation and China in the field of air
transport. While acknowledging the desirability of comprehensive aviation
agreements with both countries, MEPs expressed regret that Parliament had not
had access to the terms of the negotiating mandates which the Commission was
now seeking from the Council. They therefore called for Parliament to be
"better integrated" in the process of negotiating these agreements.
As far as China
was concerned, the report called on the Council to extend the Commission's negotiating
mandate to cover theprovision of the necessary infrastructure in
Chinese airports and air traffic controlover Chinese airspace, saying that both were
inadequate at present and posed anobstacle to the development of aviation
relations. The committee also insisted that the provisions of a balanced
conclusion to negotiations with China on air cargo should be
implemented without delay and if necessary before completion of negotiations
on passenger traffic.
As far as Russia
was concerned, MEPs said that "the acceptance of Community clauses
should be a starting point for Community negotiations". They noted that the charges
imposed by Russia for flights over its territory were "in violationof
international law", and underlined that these charges had not been
used for the promisedimprovement of air traffic control management but
rather to subsidise Russia's ownairline in breach of competition law.
The report therefore insisted that no agreement should be concluded without
"the immediate and complete abolition of Russian overflight
charges", and insisted that no modified charging scheme should be agreed to
replace the current overflight charging regime. It also called on the
Commission not
to conclude an agreement on the Russian
Federation's accession to the World Trade Organisation while Russia
continues to charge forSiberian overflights.
Lastly, MEPs stressed that no mandate should be granted
which does not inexorably link increased access to both China's and Russia's
markets to the creation of a "level playing field" through the
convergence of operating standards in the areas of air traffic control and
management, staff training and operating standards and aviation security and
safety, as well as through convergence of regulations on competition.