From
Financial Times on February 12 (subscription required):
'The leading European airlines believe that the US is offering to accept the change sought by Brussels to a European Union nationality clause for EU airlines to replace the present national identities, in exchange for agreeing to the US model of so-called "open skies" being introduced across Europe.
This would fall far short of the "open aviation area" that the Commission has been mandated to seek by EU member states, and specifically it would still leave the US domestic aviation market completely protected from foreign competition.'
Last December, after the previous round of negotiations, the
Association of European Airlines wrote:
'AEA members are particularly pleased with the fact that both sides have concluded that amending current bilateral Open Skies agreements is not a practical option, and that they have decided to address outstanding issues in the context of an Open Aviation agreement.'
Maybe I'm missing something but I haven't found any reference to the negotiations on the (US)
Air Transport Association website or on either the US Transportation or Trade departmental websites.
aeroskid - your post seems to indicate knowledge of the US negotiating position. Is there a source you can quote?
The EU airline reaction to the US 'early harvest' position would be that the US would then have no further incentive for liberalisation.