EU Commission response re Open Skies
I received correspondence today from the EU Commission, in relation to the whole Open Skies issue. In brief ...
- Decision by US administration to postpone "final rule" (on foreign o'ship of US carriers) regrettable; US has however reaffirmed to M. Barrot a commitment to conclude an EU/US air transport agreement by year end. Utmost importance that process towards conclusion continues.
- Commission is acutely aware of the difficulties that further difficulties would pose, in particular for Ireland and Aer Lingus ... doing utmost to secure successful outcome to these negotiations ("these" meaning EU/US, rather than EU/Ireland and Ireland/US?)
I pointed out that in the Commission's first reponse to me, they set out the conditions under which an individual member state could be permitted to enter direct negotiations with US and that Ireland satisfied both of these (i.e. that proposed agreement - which was negotiated under EU auspices - contained clauses required by EU, and that allowing separate deal to go ahead would not compromise ongoing negotiations).
Obviously, Commission couldn't be expected to give firm yes/no, but to me suggests that they'd rather Ireland waited. Maybe compromise will be that if no deal is reached by year end or in time for Summer 2007, airlines will be able to go ahead. However, since EU has voiced its optimism that deal will be done and since any new deal wouldn't take effect until next Summer, one can suggest that it's "no skin off EU's nose" to allow Irish deal to go ahead.