Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-03-29-Speech-3-075"
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"en.20000329.6.3-075"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, an American firm called Pratt and Whitney is still producing the so-called Hushkits. These are engine-mufflers for old and grimy aircraft that are mainly bought by developing countries and Eastern European countries. Parliament and the Council have decided that from 4 May onwards, the number of these noisy American machines permitted to land on European airfields will be frozen. This one aircraft firm obviously has such a strong lobby that the Clinton administration unquestioningly does its bidding. The US government has threatened to prohibit Concorde from landing in the US if Europe does not revoke this decision.
This threat came as such a shock to the fifteen Ministers for Transport and the European Commission, led by Commissioner de Palacio, that they wanted to make concessions to the Americans. Fortunately, Parliament has the power of codecision in environmental matters. That is why these concessions were not made.
What happened is that the European Commission, mainly under pressure from Parliament, did not make enough concessions to the US government. That is why the Clinton administration decided last week to lodge a complaint about Europe with the ICAO. That was a big mistake. Ultimately, the US could even have Europe thrown out of this organisation. But we need not worry on that score, for it would then be much easier for us to push stringent environmental standards through. The situation is bound to simmer down in time though, and it will not come to that. Discussion will be less heated once the American presidential elections are over.
The political conclusion reached by my group is that Europe must frame its own policy when it comes to the noise and environmental pollution caused by aircraft, both new and old models. This is the European position we must thrash out in our negotiations with the Americans, particularly in view of the international negotiations due to take place in September 2001.
If we are to reach a compromise with the Americans, then surely the minor problem of the hushkits can be resolved as part of the overall package."@en1
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