Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-04-24-Speech-2-378"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20070424.49.2-378"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:translated text |
".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I should like to start by congratulating Mrs Lichtenberger on her very constructive report. The stakes involved in the Agreement on the European Common Aviation Area are certainly significant.
The agreement was signed last June by 37 parties, a number which is undoubtedly unparalleled in aviation agreements. It helps us to create a single global network which will bring people, countries and cultures closer together. In this respect, air transport plays a vital role in the integration and subsequent development of Europe as a whole. The Agreement on the European Common Aviation Area thus goes beyond simply opening up the market: it creates a single area, and brings all of the countries of the Balkans and South-East Europe into the European family.
This agreement will encourage the development not only of more air links, but of better quality ones. These links will promote trade between populations, be it in the form of commercial relationships or of private travel, for example in the context of tourism, which is booming in most of the countries concerned. Air transport can thus act as a driving force for development in other sectors and contribute to the development of the entire Balkan region. Like the treaty on energy in South-East Europe, the Agreement on the European Common Aviation Area represents a vital step towards an ever closer union of Europeans, which continues to be the underlying aim of the EU. It represents a key step in establishing, by 2010, a single aviation area between the European Union and its neighbours, along with the recent agreement with Morocco and the negotiations that have just been opened with Ukraine.
The objective of the agreement is clear and forward-looking, but it is also worth emphasising the benefits of the method chosen. This method is based on two pillars. The first pillar is regulatory convergence, in other words harmonisation of the European rules and standards in air transport in fields as important as safety, security, competition, social policy, consumer rights and environmental protection. This harmonisation of national and Community legislation is an illustration of the desire of the Balkan countries to share the European Union's values and principles, and the level of regulatory convergence is unprecedented: all of the partners to this agreement have made a commitment to bring their national legislation into line with Community legislation.
The second pillar is the creation of new opportunities by opening up the markets. We are now in the process of creating a single aviation market in 35 countries for more than 500 million residents, and this market is growing. Since 2001, air traffic between the European Union and South-East Europe has grown by almost 120%, and this trend is now going to accelerate thanks to the complete integration of a region in which, it is predicted, air traffic will increase by 6% a year to 2011. Since 2005, the number of seats on flights between the European Union and the Balkans has risen from 12 million to 14 million. I am sure everyone is well aware of the positive consequences of this agreement.
In order for this venture to be a success, the Commission also needs to lean on a third pillar: technical assistance. We intend to keep a close eye on the implementation of this legislation, whilst at the same time providing the partners with all the help they need, and I will keep you informed, ladies and gentlemen, of the progress achieved and of developments in the situation.
I would like once again to thank your rapporteur, Mrs Lichtenberger, and you for lending your support to this European campaign to create a European common aviation area. Yet again, the alliance between Parliament and Commission has achieved some very important results that, Mr President, are in Europe's general interest."@en1
|
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples