Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-09-06-Speech-3-363"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20000906.14.3-363"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:translated text |
"Mr President, this Parliament would not be able to function without aviation, which according to some might not be such a bad thing. But we need to focus all our efforts on how we can minimise the effects of the rapid growth within this sector on the environment. I would like to highlight a number of points.
In my opinion, the European Union should support the ICAO process. Only within the context of this international body is it possible to discuss tighter rules for noise generated by aircraft. We should however urge caution. Proposing new standards has a huge impact on the European aviation industry as a whole. In concrete terms, a standard considerably stricter than the current one would mean that out of the present European fleet of 3,300 aircraft, 1,067 would need to be replaced. Such a rapid and forced decommissioning would make it practically impossible to replace these aircraft with new ones, due to, among other things, the small production capacity for new aircraft. We only have two manufacturers.
The consequences for European aviation are not hard to imagine. It would need to surrender part of the market to its competitors, and it is very questionable whether this would benefit our safety. Furthermore, it would lead to a considerable reduction in employment, with all the problems that this entails. Air fares would go up. I am very aware that this would be a bonus for some, but do remember that, for airline passengers who need to travel short distances, there is still no real alternative, contrary to what one of my fellow MEPs just stated, to the effect that we would all much prefer to see such passengers travel by train..
Member States and my country in particular, the Netherlands, are extremely slow in introducing high-speed trains which could form a viable alternative for short-distance travel.
Aircraft manufacturers should be put under considerable pressure to build cleaner and quieter aircraft. That is why the new standards cannot be put on hold forever. We will try to exert this pressure at international level but we will run out of patience at some stage.
Finally, I would like to say a few words on noise-sensitive airports. In my opinion, measurements should be taken in a truly objective manner and complaints from those living in the vicinity should not be the only point of reference. An international standard needs to be established, but some airports, which do not cause any pollution whatsoever to those living in the vicinity, should be exempt so that they are not hindered in their development."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples