Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-07-02-Speech-3-249"
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"en.20030702.7.3-249"2
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".
Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I believe that I speak for the majority of my colleagues when I say that our main reaction to the Council common position on the Single Sky was a sense of disappointment. In the field of safety, the Council fortunately sensed the feelings of the European Parliament accurately. It also introduced greater clarity to the original Commission proposal. Many of the European Parliament's fundamental wishes have been largely disregarded, however, and that is regrettable. I will now go into more detail on the conditions that we consider necessary in order to bring about a successful Single European Sky.
Firstly, we should like to see a clear commitment – laid down by law – so that the Commission can find a solution regarding the certification and training of air-traffic controllers. We also want the Member States to improve the recruitment of these professionals. I also think that all providers of air-navigation services should be free of conflicts of interest, should be adequately staffed, and should ensure that access to their services is non-discriminatory with regard to all airspace users. In addition, we want charging for these services to be transparent, and we want it to offer incentives to improve safety and efficiency. Commissioner, we do not want a better-integrated airspace, we want a Single European Sky, and I hope that you put that across to the Council, too. That means that we are calling for a clear, unambiguous commitment to a single European Flight Information Region, first in the higher and then in the lower airspace.
We are also striving for successful implementation of all the elements in the package, and also, therefore – perhaps most importantly – of the elements relating to interoperability. I know that you also place a strong emphasis on this.
Thirdly, we consider it extremely important that the Member States give a clear, unambiguous signal that they are serious about wanting to rearrange European airspace into cross-border airspace blocks. Without the commitment to do this, a single airspace would be a hollow shell, with no hope of success. That is why Amendment No 26 in my report is so important. In addition to the decisive priority of safety, airspace management is also an economic sector. Without a stimulus from the EU, each Member State will tend to pursue its own interests in that sector. Were this not the case, the cross-border airspace blocks would have been established much earlier.
Fourthly, the desires of the Member States do not always represent the best interests of citizens. Passengers have a right to fewer delays and to even greater flight safety. Moreover, the people on the ground sometimes get overlooked, but they also have similar rights. They have to be able to take it for granted that flying is as safe as possible, and that the adverse effects on the environment are minimal, by permitting the crew to fly to their destination via the most direct route. That is exactly what the rearrangement of European airspace is to bring about. We would ask that the Member States let go the reins of sovereignty over their airspace in order to achieve that aim.
Fifthly, I do of course understand the sensitivities of the Member States regarding cooperation between civil and military airspace management. I also respect the legal constraints that the EC Treaty imposes on us in this area. However, Commissioner, I do not believe that the Council has achieved the maximum possible in this field. On top of what is known as the flexible use of airspace, there are certainly other possibilities for improving cooperation between civil and military airspace managers without contravening the EC Treaty or jeopardising Member States' defence competences. No one wants to undermine the effectiveness of the European military air forces; we only want to ensure that the use of the airspace is optimised as far as possible by means of better communication and coordination.
Finally, I should like to thank my colleagues for their great cooperation throughout the process. The successful coordination with my colleague Mr Fava improved and strengthened both of our proposals. They still differ on one small point, and my group has therefore requested a separate vote for Amendment No 14. We are afraid that the Commission is being kept on leading reins too much. Apart from that, however, I think that we can really look forward to a quick, efficient trialogue enabling us to keep to the original timetable for the implementation of the Single Sky, and that is in the interests of all of us."@en1
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